ACCRA — Former Ghana lawmaker Sarah Adwoa Safo was injured in a shooting incident near a church gathering in the Greater Accra Region, police said, as a dispute over leadership succession at the Kristo Asafo Church was being addressed on Sunday. The former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya was taken for medical treatment after the incident near the residence of the late church founder, Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, according to Ghana police and local media reports.
Police said preliminary investigations indicated that Safo sustained a gunshot wound to her left ear. The Ghana Police Service said the former lawmaker reported the incident to the Kwabenya Police and that officers began an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and identify those involved.
The incident occurred as members of the Kristo Asafo Church were gathered for a ceremony connected to the introduction of a new leader following the death of Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, according to reports. The church’s legal representative, Nana Kofi Kantanka, said the leadership succession process was being conducted under the church’s constitution, which he said allowed the Council of Elders to select a successor from among the founder’s children.
Nana Kofi Kantanka said the council had contacted the late founder’s children regarding the succession process but that the details of their responses were not clear. He said a successor had already been selected and was being introduced when the disturbance occurred.
According to the lawyer, security personnel at the venue fired warning shots after a disturbance near the church gates. He said he could not confirm whether those shots caused Safo’s injury. “What I know is that she fired the first shot, and when she fired those shots, the security apparatus also knew that the lives of people were at risk,” he said, according to Ghanaian Times.
Details surrounding the events immediately before the shooting remain unclear. Police said the investigation was ongoing and that the former MP’s vehicle, which had visible gunshot damage, was retained for forensic examination.
Safo, a member of Ghana’s former Parliament, served as the representative for Dome-Kwabenya before leaving office. The shooting has drawn attention because of its connection to a leadership dispute within a prominent religious organization, though authorities have not announced any conclusions about responsibility.
As of Monday, officials said the police investigation was continuing. Authorities had not announced arrests or provided further details on possible suspects, and the full circumstances of the shooting remained under review.
