Row Over Repatriated Ahanta King's Remains Deepens as Royal Family Halts Release Plans

A sharp dispute has broken out within the Ahanta Traditional Area in the Western Region over who holds the rightful authority to determine the fate of the repatriated remains of the late Ahanta paramount king, Otumfuo Badu Bonsoe II, whose severed head was returned to Ghana from the Netherlands in 2009 and has since been held at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

The Anona Royal Family of the Ahanta Paramount Stool has raised strong objections to what it describes as a deliberate attempt to exclude the recognised traditional authorities from discussions about the remains. The family insists that any decision regarding the custody, release, or burial of the late king must be taken exclusively by the Paramount Chief, Otumfuo Baidoo Bonsoe XVI, the Paramount Queenmother, Nana Sene Akuba IV, and the principal elders of the Anona Royal Family.

The controversy was triggered in part by a letter dated 19th June 2026 from the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Mrs Mavis Kuukua Bissue, requesting a courtesy visit to the Ahanta Traditional Council to discuss preparations for the 2026 Ahanta Heritage Month celebration. The royal family alleged that prior engagements had already taken place with individuals it does not recognise as having customary authority over the Paramount Stool.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the Paramount Chief and Queenmother, Dankwah and Associates, subsequently wrote to the Ministry of Defence on 25th June 2026, urging it to suspend a meeting scheduled for 30th June 2026 to discuss the release of the remains. The lawyers argued that certain individuals invited to the meeting had no legitimate customary or legal standing to represent the Ahanta Paramount Stool, and called for the gathering to be postponed until the question of proper representation was settled.

The Anona Royal Family also pointed to historical records showing that after the 2009 repatriation, the Ahanta Traditional Council and the Western Regional House of Chiefs jointly established a Funeral Planning Committee to manage the late king's burial in accordance with Ahanta custom — a process the family says must still be respected.

As at the time of this report, neither the Ahanta West MP, the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly, nor the Ministry of Defence had issued any public statement in response to the allegations raised by the royal family.