Aowin chiefs petition Interior Minister

The Paramount Chief and elders of the Aowin Traditional Council (ATC) in the Western North Region appear to have lost hope in the Enchi Police to bring the suspects behind the numerous assassination attempts on the Omanhene, Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, to book.

They have petitioned the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, to launch a thorough investigation into the various assassination attempts on Beyeeman Tano Kwaw and his family.

At a press conference to officially petition the Interior Minister, the chiefs, clad in red to signify their anger, made it clear that considering the numerous attacks on their Omanhene, the Council had decided to petition the Office of the Minister of Interior to launch a thorough investigation into the assassination attempts on Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III.

“Respectfully, Mr. Minister, we would like that all matters pertaining to the insecurity of [the] Aowin Traditional Area, occasioned by the various plots to murder the Omanhene and all linked cases are transferred to [the] National Police Headquarters for full and impartial investigations be conducted and all the perpetrators be brought to book, irrespective of their political affiliations.”

In the petition titled “Immediate Action on Assassination Attempts and Threats of Insecurity against the Aowin Paramount Chief,” the petitioners wrote, “We are bringing this petition to your notice, Hon. Minister, about the assassination attempts and threats on the life of the Aowin Paramount Chief.

There have been countless and constant plots and schemes against our Omanhene, Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, including assaults with offensive weapons.

We have reported these offensive and criminal conducts to the police, but have not had the requisite police action. The attack on the Enchi Anyi Oyoko Royal Palace on the 6th day of November, 2022, which resulted in the death of four (4), the assailants now confirm the clandestine activities of the perpetrators.”

Nana KojoNtow III, Chief of Nkwanta and Secretary to the Omanhene, who read the petition, told the media that since the installation of Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, there had been seven assassination attempts on his life, with the eighth one happening recently on November 6, 2022.

“What has been clear to us is that any threat on the life of the Omanhene and his Palace reported to the police is treated nonchalantly, whilst any flimsy and baseless allegation against the Omanhene and his Palace is immediately dealt with by the police,” he told the media.

The petitioners opined that the threat on the life of the Omanhene, under the guise of chieftaincy disputes, was real, but he (Omanhene) had not received the protection that was required.

“We are sending this petition to your office, Hon. Minister, because we know you will ensure that security is maintained in Enchi in particular, and Aowin in general. We believe that the crimes of the perpetrators against the Omanhene and his family will be fully investigated, and the law made to take its course. We also trust that the life of Omanhene, his family, and the chiefs will be given the necessary protection.”

The petitioners consequently detailed a list of instances of what they described as criminal conducts against the Omanhene and his family, which had been reported, but had seen no action from the police since 2019.

On November 20, 2019, armed policemen, according to Nana Kojo Ntow, stormed the Omanhene’s palace with some known supporters of a person (name withheld) captured on Close Circuit Television (CCTV) wielding machetes and offensive weapons, drove out the elders, who were mediating on a matter, under the full guidance and protection of the police.

These miscreants, the Chief mentioned, allegedly slaughtered a sheep to signify the destoolment of the Omanhene.

Another instance, he mentioned, was dated December 21, 2019, where a group of persons he described as ‘criminals’ armed and later identified as land-guards, stormed the Omanhene’s Palace (when he was about to come out to perform the three-weekly ritual), also captured on CCTV.

The last assassination attempts that appears to have broken the camel’s back, the Omanhene Secretary mentioned, was the November 6, 2022, where armed men, in the early hours of the morning, stormed the Palace of the Omanhene in an attempt to eliminate him, but did not succeed.

These attacks, according to the chiefs, had been reported to the Enchi Police Command with evidence of CCTV footages, but no action has been taken by the Police.

“It appears that any criminal act against the Omanhene’s palace is transferred to the Sefwi-Wiawso Regional Police Command and then no action is taken.

We wonder why the police station in Enchi would transfer all crimes against the Omanhene and his Palace to Sefwi-Wiawso. What does the police station serve in Enchi then?” they asked.