IGP visits Asawase after killings and orders thorough search of vehicles
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has ordered security personnel deployed to various checkpoints within Asawase to thoroughly search vehicles including tricycles to foil any intended attacks in the area.
With the Regional Security Council’s (REGSEC’s) ban on motorbikes after 7 p.m. following the killing of two people on separate occasions last week, he said violent elements might resort to the use of tricycles and other vehicles to carry out their criminal activities.
“If they realise that one strategy is not working, especially after the ban on the use of motorbikes, they will resort to tricycles and other vehicles to outsmart security personnel to undertake their nefarious acts,” he said.
Fact-finding visit
Mr Yohuno made the remarks when he led some members of the Police Management Board (POMAG) on a fact-finding visit to Asawase in the Ashanti Region last Saturday, following the recent killings.
The team visited the two scenes where the people were killed and the various checkpoints set up within the area after the killings to engage with officers and community members.
The visit was also to assure the people of their continuous safety despite the killing incidents.
Naa Abdul-Malik Azenbe, the Kusasi Chief in the Ashanti Region, was shot dead at the Kumasi suburb by unknown assailants who reportedly attacked him on the night of Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
Until his death, the chief also served as the Kaadi Divisional Area Chief in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region.
According to some eyewitnesses, the unidentified gunmen, each on a motorbike, approached the chief and shot him at close range before fleeing the scene.
Last Friday, another man was shot dead in broad daylight at Sabon Zongo, also in Asawase, marking the second fatal shooting in the area within a week by unknown assailants riding motorbikes.
The assailants shot the yet-to-be-identified man just as he was about to enter his vehicle, near OTEC FM in Sabon Zongo, close to the Manhyia roundabout.
No arrests have been made so far.
No stone unturned
The IGP urged the officers to leave no stone unturned, and instructed them to thoroughly search motorbikes to prevent the transfer of weapons within the area.
“You can realise that one of the killings occurred during the night after 8 p.m., and the other in broad daylight. This shows you that anything can happen at any time, and, therefore, you must be vigilant at all times,” Mr Yohuno told the officers.
He urged the personnel to maintain a high level of agility at all times to prevent any attack on unsuspecting members of the public, emphasising that there must be zero tolerance for the use of weapons against the personnel.
While commending the officers on the grounds for their efforts, Mr Yohuno assured the residents that the police administration was committed to ensuring that Asawase and Kumasi remained safe so that people could go about their activities without fear.
“We will not allow criminal elements to destabilise the peace in the region as such a situation tends to scare people away, especially investors, from coming into the region to do business,” he said.
REGSEC’s ban
The Ashanti REGSEC banned motorbikes after 7:00 p.m. and suspended an inter-tribal football competition following the incidents.
At its emergency meeting held on Wednesday, July 24, 2025, the REGSEC banned the riding of unlicensed motorbikes or those without functioning lights.
Additionally, REGSEC has deployed joint police and military patrols to hotspots to ensure peace and safeguard lives and property.
“The REGSEC assures the general public of the government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining law and order and fostering a peaceful society.
All necessary measures are being implemented to bring the perpetrators of this heinous acts to justice,” the statements signed by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, said.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.
