FOUR ARRESTED AS FUNERAL GUNFIRE CLAIMS SIX LIVES IN ASAMANKESE

 By Osei Nathanael 

A solemn burial for six family members turned into chaos on Sunday when a dispute over the use of a royal cemetery erupted into gunfire, leaving six civilians dead and three police officers injured in Asamankese, Eastern Region.

Police arrested four suspects shortly after the chaos: Isaac Ntim Nana Yaw Zenyo, Bismark K. K. Adam, 29, and Buaben Richard, 25, all from the area. A fourth individual is in custody but has not been named publicly.

According to a police press release issued yesterday, officers received intelligence that firearms were being smuggled into a room near the local chief’s palace ahead of the funeral rites. A rapid-response team dispatched to the scene recovered one single-barrel shotgun, 84 live AAA cartridges, seven cutlasses, and two knives.

The situation deteriorated rapidly upon the suspects’ arrest. Agitated youth pelted the officers with stones and other objects, injuring three constables on the head and hands. Two police vehicles had their windscreens and side windows smashed.

Emboldened mourners then blocked the Asamankese–Akroso junction and the road encircling the palace, firing shots indiscriminately. Police say the gunfire was triggered by objections to the bereaved family’s plan to inter the deceased in the royal cemetery.

The six victims, all struck by bullets, have been identified as:

David Odame, 28

Musah Gyakweli, 29

Patrick Ofosu

Obeng Emmanuel, 18

Asamoah Sey, 18

One male yet to be identified

All were pronounced dead at the scene or en route to hospital.

Regional Police Commander Superintendent Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe confirmed the arrests and urged calm. “This was a preventable tragedy born of reckless disregard for human life,” he told reporters outside Kibi Regional Headquarters. “We will ensure the perpetrators face the full rigour of the law.”

The original six deceased—whose funeral sparked the violence—had died earlier under circumstances police have not disclosed. Their interment in the contested royal cemetery appears to have been the flashpoint.

Investigations are ongoing, with ballistics tests and witness statements expected to determine who fired the fatal shots. The injured officers are receiving treatment and are in stable condition.

Asamankese remains tense but under heavy police patrol. Traditional authorities have called for dialogue to resolve the cemetery dispute and prevent further bloodshed.

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