Six Arrested After Gunfire at Kristo Asafo Palace Injures Former MP Sarah Adwoa Safo

Former Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has sustained gunshot injuries following a violent confrontation at a leadership installation ceremony for the Kristo Asafo Mission in Kwabenya. The incident, which occurred on June 21, 2026, led to the arrest of six private security guards and a significant reinforcement of police presence at the Akofena Palace. This physical altercation marks a volatile escalation in the ongoing succession battle within the prominent religious organization following the death of its founder, Apostle Emeritus Kwadwo Safo, in September 2025.

Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the circumstances that led to the shooting. According to the Ghana Police Service, Adwoa Safo was allegedly denied entry to a ceremony at the residence of Tamakloe Safo Jehoshaphat, leading to a confrontation where armed personnel discharged weapons, injuring the former MP's left ear and neck and damaging her vehicle. Conversely, Nana Kofi Kantanka, a lawyer for the Kristo Asafo Mission, alleged that Safo initiated the disruption by attempting to ram her vehicle through the entrance gates. Some witnesses and church representatives further claimed that security personnel only fired warning shots after a weapon was allegedly discharged from within Safo’s vehicle, though the former MP is reported to be in stable condition while receiving medical treatment.

The Madina Divisional Police Command has launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter, retaining Safo’s vehicle for forensic examination. During the operation, authorities recovered five pump-action guns and a Taurus pistol from the scene. The six arrested security guards have been transferred to the Police Headquarters as investigators work to identify other individuals involved in the violence. In the wake of the gunfire, the police have heightened patrols around Kwabenya to prevent further clashes among rival factions of the church and the Safo family.

Underlying this physical conflict is a deep-seated legal dispute currently before the Accra High Court. Two senior church members, Kweku Agyenim Boateng and Seth Appiah Richard Brown, have sued to halt the installation of Israel Kwadwo Safo (Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena) as the new leader. The plaintiffs argue that the succession process violates the church’s 2017 constitution and contested 2024 amendments, which they claim disqualify the current appointee. As the court case proceeds, the recent violence underscores the severe divisions threatening the stability of one of Ghana’s most prominent indigenous religious and philanthropic institutions.