Tragedy and Justice in Kumasi: A Police Officer’s Life Sentence for Murder

The Crime
On the evening of 20 April 2023, at around 9:50 p.m., in the Adum area of Kumasi (in the Ashanti Region of Ghana), a deadly confrontation occurred. Ahmed Twumasi a serving inspector with the Ghana Police Service SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) unit shot his girlfriend, Victoria Dapaah (also known as “Maadwoa”), multiple times in the abdomen and chest near her home.

She died shortly after being rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

According to the prosecution, the shooting followed a disagreement over a debt of GH₵5,000 that the officer had reportedly demanded from Ms Dapaah. When she failed to pay, the officer confronted her and used his service weapon in the attack.

Investigation and Trial
After the incident, a manhunt was launched. Twumasi was arrested on 23 April 2023 at a hideout in Sekyere, near Effiduase in the Ashanti Region.

He initially appeared before court and was charged with murder. During his first court appearance he admitted to shooting her but claimed it was not his intention to kill her. Over the nearly two years that followed, the case went through legal processes including gathering ballistic evidence, witness testimonies, and a full jury trial.

Verdict and Sentence
On 24 October 2025, the Kumasi High Court delivered its verdict: the jury (a seven-member panel) found Twumasi guilty of murder by a majority verdict of 5–2. The presiding judge, Rosemond Baah Tosu, handed down a life imprisonment sentence, meaning Twumasi will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

Impact and Wider Significance

The case sparked public outrage in Ghana. A police officer killing his partner, and using a service weapon, raised serious questions about firearm control, police discipline, and the conduct of law-enforcement officers.

The victim, Victoria Dapaah (aged 26 at the time), was described by friends and family as kind-hearted, full of promise, and a mother of one. The trial and sentence offered some measure of justice and closure to her grieving family.

For the police service, the ruling reinforces that officers are not above the law, and that misuse of authority or service arms can lead to the highest levels of accountability. It also underscores the issue of domestic violence and intimate partner homicides in Ghana, especially where power imbalances and access to weapons are involved.

A Note on the Victim and Aftermath

Victoria was shot just a few meters from her home in Adum. The spot where it happened and the fact that the accused was a serving inspector made the case particularly salient in Kumasi and across Ghana. The family expressed relief at the verdict but emphasized that no sentence fully replaces a lost life. They called for continuing vigilance around how law-enforcement officers are deployed, their access to weapons, and how domestic disputes are handled when one party is an armed and trained officer.

Conclusion
The case of Inspector Ahmed Twumasi underscores how even those entrusted with enforcing the law can stray into its violation. The life sentence handed down by the Kumasi High Court illustrates that justice can be achieved, albeit after tremendous trauma for the victim’s family. It serves as a reminder of the need for strong oversight, accountability, and preventive measures especially within institutions that carry weapons and wield significant power.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/Science communicator ,Private Investigator Criminal Investigation and Criminal Analysis

International Conflict management and Peace Building. Gandhi-King Global Academy United State Institute of Peace Building USIP

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