The Akuapem North Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) in the Eastern Region has imposed a ban on all unauthorised public gatherings in the municipality amid rising tensions linked to recent disturbances.
The Council said the measure is necessary to safeguard lives and property following incidents related to a chieftaincy dispute in the area. Security agencies have been tasked to strictly enforce the directive without exception.
The ban comes after plans by two groups, the Concerned Youth of Akropong and Justice for Kwasi Ansah Awuku, to hold a flower-laying ceremony in Akropong on Friday, April 17, 2026. The event was intended to mark one week since the death of Kwasi Ansah Awuku, also known as “Dragon,” who was reportedly shot during a police operation linked to the chieftaincy dispute.
The Akropong Police had earlier declined approval for the ceremony, citing non-compliance with provisions of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491). According to a statement signed by the Akropong Divisional Commander, ACP Comfort Miah, the organizers failed to meet key requirements, including the mandatory five-day notice period and details of the proposed route and destination.
Meanwhile, calls have intensified for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Kwasi Ansah Awuku. Family members and sympathisers have urged the Interior Minister to commission a probe to ensure justice is served.
Police reports indicate that the deceased was shot during a dawn operation on Friday, April 10, 2026, conducted by the Eastern Regional Police Command with support from national headquarters, following clashes between rival factions during the Awukudae celebration.
The police maintain that the deceased resisted arrest, barricaded himself in his room, and opened fire on officers, prompting a response that led to his death. Officers later retrieved weapons and ammunition from the scene, including pump-action guns, cartridges, a club, a mobile phone, a smock, and machetes.
However, this account has been strongly disputed by sections of the community, including a newly formed pressure group, Justice for Kwasi Ansah Awuku, which is demanding an independent investigation into the incident.
An Assembly Member for the area, Safori Fianko, has also rejected claims portraying the deceased as a hardened criminal, insisting that the narrative does not reflect his true character.
