Prisons Service probes alleged role of Ankafu convict in Abamba Queen Mother's murder
The Ghana Prisons Service has launched an investigation into the alleged involvement of a convicted prisoner in the murder of Nana Serwaa Asaama Agyankomaa I, Queen Mother of the Abamba Traditional Area in Atebubu.
The move follows preliminary findings by the Ghana Police Service which allegedly linked the inmate, Ishaku Alhassan, also known as Sule Yagani, to the murder plot.
In a statement issued on Saturday, May 30, 2026, and signed by the Head of Public Affairs of the Ghana Prisons Service, DDP Janet Asabea, the Service said a high-level investigative team had been constituted to establish the facts surrounding the allegations and make recommendations.
The Queen Mother was shot dead at her residence in Atebubu on February 25, 2026.
The Ghana Police Service subsequently arrested eight suspects, including a chief, in connection with the killing following what it described as a breakthrough in investigations.
According to the Prisons Service, police investigations have alleged that Alhassan, a convicted prisoner serving a sentence at the Ankafu Maximum Security Prison, acted as an intermediary in facilitating the murder.
The Service said it was treating the matter seriously and had begun an internal probe while cooperating with the police in their ongoing investigations.
The Prisons Service cautioned that any inmate or officer found to have violated prison regulations or aided criminal activity would face the full force of the law.
The statement said the allegations had raised concerns about the possibility of a prisoner in a maximum-security facility participating in activities outside prison walls.
The Service explained that inmates are only permitted to make telephone calls through officially supervised prison communication facilities and are allowed scheduled visits from relatives, friends and legal representatives.
It added that possession of personal mobile phones is prohibited for inmates and officers on duty.
The statement outlined measures in place to prevent the entry of prohibited items into prison facilities.
These include physical and electronic screening at prison entry points, routine and intelligence-led searches of cells and workshop areas, as well as random searches of inmates and prison officers.
