KNUST lecturer remanded for allegedly posing as Adumasa chief
A 63-year-old lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Cosmos Yaw Asante, has been remanded by the Kumawu Circuit Court for allegedly holding himself out as the chief of Adumasa in the Ashanti Region.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Hagar Addo, ordered him to reappear on November 5, 2026.
Dr Asante is charged with acting or performing the functions of a chief without being qualified to do so, contrary to Section 63(A)(B) of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759).
The complainant, Nana Kwabena Yiadom, is identified by the prosecution as the legitimate chief of Adumasa, while Dr Asante is a native of the town.
Police say the dispute began after the death of the former chief, Nana Yaw Oppong, when the Aduana clan, led by Nana Appiah Kubi, resisted his burial at the royal cemetery in August 2026 despite a directive from the Omanhene of Juaben, Daasebre Nana Otuo Siriboe II. Police intervention was required before the burial could proceed.
The Omanhene subsequently enstooled Nana Kwabena Yiadom as chief. However, Dr Asante and his family allegedly refused to allow him into the palace, claiming it had been built by their ancestor.
The standoff reportedly escalated when stones were thrown at police officers, injuring two of them.
On October 13, 2026, the Aduana family, led by Nana Appiah Kubi, allegedly enstooled Dr Asante as chief and carried him through the principal streets of the town. Police say he has since presented himself as a rival chief, creating tension and the risk of further clashes.
Dr Asante was arrested on October 28, 2026, in an effort to avert further violence. In his caution statement, he reportedly admitted that the Aduana clan had enstooled him.
The prosecution also told the court that the Donyina Circuit Court issued a bench warrant on August 23, 2026, for one of Dr Asante’s supporters, Owusu Yaw Kaya, alias Toto, over alleged threats against the Omanhene. The warrant had yet to be executed, according to the prosecution.
Investigations are ongoing.
