The Ghana Prisons Service has launched a “high-level” investigation after a convicted inmate at Ankaful Maximum Security Prison was able to allegedly coordinate with people outside prison walls to kill a queen mother.
Nana Serwaa Asaama Agyankomaa I, Queen Mother of the Abamba Traditional Area in Atebubu, Bono East Region, was shot dead at her residence on February 25, 2026.
According to police, an inmate named Ishaku Alhassan (also known as Sule Yagani), currently serving a sentence at Ankaful, acted as an intermediary in the murder plot.
On May 22, 2026, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno announced a breakthrough in the case, revealing that eight suspects had been arrested including a chief.
The IGP named the Chief of Akokua, Nana Owusu Sahkofi II (56, also known as Charles Kofi Owusu), as the alleged contractor of the murder.
Police say key suspects have confessed.
In response, the Prisons Service issued a statement on May 30, 2026, signed by Head of Public Affairs DDP Janet Asabea, confirming an internal probe is underway in collaboration with police.
A high-level investigative team has been constituted to establish the facts and make recommendations.
The Service noted that standard regulations strictly forbid inmates from possessing personal mobile phones or making unsupervised calls. Inmates are only allowed supervised phone use and scheduled visits.
Prohibited items are kept out via physical and electronic screening, routine and intelligence-led searches of cells and workshops, and random searches of inmates and officers.
Despite these measures, the allegations suggest a major lapse.
The Prisons Service has warned that any inmate or officer found to have violated regulations or facilitated criminal activity will face the full force of the law.
