Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno visited Asawase, Kumasi, to investigate two fatal shootings that have shaken the community within a week, signaling a robust response from the Ghana Police Service to rising violence in the Ashanti Region.
The first incident occurred on July 22, 2025, when Abdul-Malik Azenzge, the Kusasi Chief of the Ashanti Region and Kaadi Divisional Area Chief of Bawku West, was assassinated at his home near the Asawase F-line community centre. Two assailants on motorbikes, one wielding an AK-47, shot the chief multiple times before fleeing. He was pronounced dead at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital after being rushed from Manhyia District Hospital. Two spent AK-47 shells were recovered at the scene.
On July 25, 2025, a second shooting claimed the life of Mohammed Madi Suleman, a 60-year-old man, who was gunned down by motorbike-riding assailants while returning to his pickup truck after dining at a local eatery in Asawase. The attackers fired at close range and fled, leaving the motive unclear. The body was transported to Accra for burial after Islamic rites.
IGP Yohuno, leading a team of senior officers and investigators, visited both crime scenes to assess the situation and consult with local leaders. He vowed to apprehend the perpetrators, with a special investigative team deployed to probe the chief’s killing. Director-General of Operations COP Vance Baba Gariba emphasized the urgency of the response, stating, “This prompt visit underscores the seriousness with which the Ghana Police Service is treating these developments.” The police are appealing for public cooperation and urging calm while investigations continue.
In response, the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) imposed a 7:00 PM ban on motorbike operations in Asokore Mampong, Kumasi Metropolis, and other areas, alongside prohibiting unregistered motorbikes, those without lights, and riders wearing smocks, which are suspected of concealing weapons. An inter-tribal football competition was also suspended. These measures aim to curb motorbike-related violence, amid a 25% rise in shooting incidents in the Ashanti Region over the past year.
Residents, gripped by fear and grief, have voiced concerns over escalating insecurity, with posts on X reflecting calls for stronger security measures. The Ghana Police Service, under IGP Yohuno’s leadership since his appointment in March 2025, is intensifying patrols and enforcing REGSEC’s directives to restore peace and deliver justice in Asawase.
