Prisons Service Launches Probe into Inmate’s Alleged Role in Queen Mother’s Murder

By Maame Efua Kwaduah

The Ghana Prisons Service has announced commenced an internal investigation into allegations that an inmate serving a sentence at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison was involved in the murder of the Abamba Queen Mother, Nana Serwaa Asaama Agyankomaa I, popularly known as Nana Serwaa Gyan Kuma I.

In a statement issued by its Public Affairs Department the Service extended condolences to the chiefs and people of the Abamba Traditional Area in Atebubu following the tragic killing of the queen mother.

According to the statement, preliminary investigations conducted by the Ghana Police Service identified an inmate, Ishaku Alhassan, also known as Sule Yagani, as a person of interest in the case.

The suspect is alleged to have acted as an intermediary in the planning and execution of the murder while serving his sentence at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison.

Describing the allegations as serious and troubling, the Prisons Administration indicated that it was treating the matter with the utmost urgency.

To facilitate a thorough review, the Service has constituted a high-powered investigative team tasked with examining the allegations and submitting recommendations upon completion of its work.

The statement further revealed that the Ghana Prisons Service is collaborating closely with the Ghana Police Service to ensure comprehensive investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Management assured the public that any individual found to have played a role in the crime, irrespective of rank or status, would be dealt with according to the law.

Addressing concerns about communication within correctional facilities, the Service explained that inmates are only permitted to make supervised voice calls through officially designated institutional telephone booths and may receive scheduled visits from relatives, friends, and legal representatives.

It emphasized that the possession and use of personal mobile phones remain strictly prohibited within all prison facilities across the country.

The statement noted that the prohibition applies not only to inmates but also to correctional officers while on duty.

The Service also highlighted measures put in place to prevent the introduction of contraband into prisons, including physical and electronic screening at entry points, intelligence-led searches of cells and workshops, as well as periodic random body searches involving both inmates and staff.

Background

The late Queen Mother, who owned and operated Ohemaa’s Kitchen in Atebubu, was reportedly returning home from work with an employee when two armed men ambushed her shortly after she exited her vehicle at her residence.

The attackers allegedly shot her multiple times before fleeing the scene. Investigators later recovered spent 9mm cartridges, while a post-mortem examination confirmed that she died from severe gunshot wounds to the chest.

Police investigations subsequently led to the arrest of several suspects. During interrogation, one of them, Abdul-Razak Ibrahim Langa, popularly known as Zack, allegedly confessed knowledge of the crime, claiming he had been “haunted” by the Queen Mother’s ghost and felt compelled to reveal details of the murder.

According to police accounts, Abdul-Razak identified Nana Yaw Bediako as the alleged gunman.

Bediako is said to have admitted shooting the Queen Mother six times after allegedly being contracted by Nana Owusu Sahkofi II, also known privately as Charles Kofi Owusu, Chief of Akokoa, to carry out the killing for a fee of GH¢50,000.