The bitter succession battle tearing apart the Kristo Asafo Mission took a dramatic turn yesterday, when Nana Israel Kwadwo Safo Akofena, the man at the centre of the controversy, was arrested and placed in police custody over the shooting incident that left former Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo, nursing gunshot wounds.
His detention comes barely 24 hours after gunfire erupted at the residence of Nana Israel Kwadwo Safo Akofena, transforming what had been an internal leadership dispute into a major criminal investigation involving firearms, armed security guards and multiple arrests.
Police sources told The Chronicle that Akofena reported to investigators on Monday, accompanied by his lawyer, Professor Kwame Gyan, as detectives intensified efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the shooting that has shocked members of the Kristo Asafo Mission and the wider public.
What followed was a series of discoveries that have deepened the police investigation. According to police sources, Akofena disclosed during interrogation that he owned two foreign-made pistols. A subsequent search of his vehicle allegedly uncovered two loaded Glock pistols, each carrying ten rounds of .45 calibre ammunition, together with additional loaded magazines.
The discovery prompted investigators to immediately extend their search to his residence at Kwabenya. There, police allegedly recovered 120 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 50 rounds of .45 calibre ammunition and 25 rounds of .40 calibre ammunition.
Checks conducted through the Central Firearms Unit reportedly revealed that while one of the pistols was captured in the national firearms database, the second weapon could not immediately be traced.
Akofena was subsequently cautioned and detained to assist investigations.
His arrest marks the latest twist in a case that has already led to the detention of eight other suspects.
Police later picked up Nana Kwaku Afriyie and Kwadwo Safo Koomson, bringing the total number of persons arrested in connection with the case to nine.
All nine suspects are expected to appear before court today. Investigators are also examining whether the heavily armed security personnel attached to the property were operating legally and whether they had the requisite authorisation to function as a private security outfit. The shooting incident that triggered the arrests occurred on Sunday morning.
According to an official police report sighted by The Chronicle, Adwoa Safo arrived at the Kwabenya Police Station at about 10:30 a.m. with a bullet-riddled Toyota Land Cruiser Prado bearing registration number GN 3482-24. The vehicle had sustained gunshot damage to the rear passenger-side window and front fender.
Visibly injured, the former legislator informed police that she had just come from her late father’s residence at Kwabenya Point One, where according to her account armed security guards opened fire on her vehicle.
She alleged that the shooting occurred after her brother, Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena instructed the guards to fire. Police records indicate that she sustained injuries to her left ear and right hand during the incident.
Officers immediately issued her with a medical report form and arranged for treatment while the damaged vehicle was secured for ballistic examination.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander later led a team to visit the injured former MP at the hospital, while the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, COP Lydia Donkor, also joined the investigations.
During questioning, Adwoa Safo reportedly told investigators that the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute over the leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission following the death of its founder, Apostle Kwadwo Safo.
She explained that church executives intended to outdoor Akofena as leader of the church despite ongoing court proceedings seeking to stop the exercise.
According to her account, information reaching her suggested that the programme was still being organised at her brother’s residence despite the legal challenge.
She, therefore, decided to visit the location. What was supposed to be a fact-finding visit, however, allegedly ended in gunfire.
The police report states that Adwoa Safo accused both Akofena and the church’s Deputy General Secretary, Kwasi Adjei of directing armed guards to shoot at her. The allegations triggered a swift security operation. Within hours, six suspects had been arrested and a cache of weapons seized.
Police identified the suspects as Tamakloe Safo Jehoshaphat, Richard Ayertey, Badu Enoch, Amoakwah Sam, Kwabena Safo and Gideon Safo.
Officers also retrieved five pump-action guns and one sidearm from the suspects before transferring them to the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit.
Meanwhile, as police investigations continue, the Kwadwo Safo family has publicly backed Adwoa Safo and challenged Akofena’s claim to the leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission.
In a statement issued after the shooting, the family confirmed that the former MP was responding positively to treatment and remained in stable condition. The statement also laid bare the deep divisions within the family over who should succeed the late founder.
According to the family, although Apostle Kwadwo Safo initially designated Akofena as his successor in 2017, concerns later emerged regarding his stewardship of church affairs and businesses within the Kristo Asafo conglomerate.
The family alleged that the late founder eventually revoked that mandate in 2024 and removed provisions supporting Akofena’s leadership from the church’s governing framework.
It further claimed that Adwoa Safo was subsequently appointed Head of the Kwadwo Safo Family and entrusted with representing the family’s interests.
The family linked Sunday’s violence directly to attempts to install Akofena as leader of the church despite what it described as the late founder’s final succession arrangements.
It further revealed that church members had sought a court injunction to restrain the proposed installation ceremony and efforts were underway to serve the court processes when the confrontation occurred.
By John Bediako & Jennifer Ambolley
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