The shooting of former Dome-Kwabenya MP Adwoa Safo during a leadership ceremony at the Christo Asafo Church has raised questions about a growing succession dispute within the church and the events that unfolded on the day of the incident.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning, June 21, 2026 during a ceremony to install a successor to the late founder of the Christo Asafo movement, Apostle Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, who passed away in September 2025.
A leadership dispute
At the centre of the controversy is an apparent disagreement over who should lead the church following the founder’s death. In the months leading up to the ceremony, reports of tensions within the family and the wider Christo Asafo movement had surfaced, with differing views emerging over the succession process.
A matter before the court
Days before the ceremony, some senior members of the church reportedly filed a legal challenge seeking to stop the installation of a successor.
The move effectively placed the succession issue before the courts. However, despite the pending case, the installation ceremony went ahead as planned.
The decision to proceed with the event has since become a major point of discussion following the violence that erupted.
The events at the ceremony
Accounts surrounding the incident suggest that tensions escalated when Adwoa Safo arrived at the venue of the ceremony.
Reports indicate that a vehicle associated with her arrival made contact with the main gate of the premises, prompting a response from security personnel stationed there.
What happened afterwards remains the subject of ongoing investigations, but the confrontation eventually resulted in Adwoa Safo sustaining a gunshot wound.
Security concerns raised
The incident has also drawn attention to the role of security personnel present at the ceremony.
Questions have been raised about the presence of armed individuals at the event and whether those involved were legally authorised to possess firearms.
The matter is expected to form part of the police investigation.
Police investigations underway
The Ghana Police Service has since launched investigations into the shooting and has arrested several individuals in connection with the incident.
Authorities are expected to determine the circumstances that led to the shooting, establish who fired the weapon involved and ascertain whether any laws were breached.
Funeral preparations overshadowed
The incident comes just weeks before the funeral of the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, which is scheduled for July.
What was expected to be a period of preparation and remembrance has instead been overshadowed by the succession dispute and the shooting incident involving Adwoa Safo.
As investigations continue, many questions remain unanswered about the events that led to the violence and the future leadership of the Christo Asafo movement.
