News Desk Report
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Bunkpurugu, Oct. 5, 2026 — The Jamong Royal Family has challenged a MyJoyOnline report that the Ghana Police Service has launched a manhunt for seven people following deadly violence in Bunkpurugu, demanding greater clarity on the legal and factual basis for the description.
The report, authored by Eliasu Tanko and published on October 5, 2026, was headlined “Police launch manhunt for 7 after deadly Bunkpurugu violence.”
MyJoyOnline reported that Police in Bunkpurugu were searching for Melchizedek Babotin Musah and six others following renewed violence linked to the longstanding chieftaincy dispute.
The publication quoted ASP Emmanuel Simtim as confirming that police were actively searching for those allegedly behind the latest incident.
“We are now looking for them,” ASP Simtim was quoted as saying, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish those responsible for the violence. (MyJoyOnline)
The report also said police were investigating the alleged breach of a court injunction, the reported rival enskinment, the death of a woman and the shooting of a soldier. (MyJoyOnline)
Jamong Family seeks clarification
In a public rebuttal signed by Chief Melchizedek Musah Jamung II, the Jamong Royal Family said the publication could create the impression that identifiable members of the Family were fugitives wanted by the Police for criminal conduct.
The Family is therefore asking the author and publisher to clarify the precise status of the persons named in the report and the basis for describing them as being the subject of a police “manhunt.”
It wants clarification on the specific offences allegedly under investigation, the nature of the complaint, the police formation handling the matter and whether any invitation, summons, warrant or other lawful process has been issued or served on the individuals concerned.
The Family said it recognises that the Police have a duty to investigate alleged criminal conduct but maintained that reporting should distinguish between a person being sought for questioning, a person under investigation, a person formally wanted by the Police and a person against whom criminal charges have been established.
Family questions police contact
The Jamong Royal Family said that, to its knowledge, no police officer had approached the Family, its representatives or the families of the persons named in the publication for assistance in locating, identifying or interviewing them.
It therefore questioned the circumstances surrounding the reported search for the individuals.
The Family’s position, however, is not that its members should be exempt from lawful investigation.
Rather, it said it wants the public record to accurately reflect the procedural position of the individuals named and the distinction between allegations under investigation and established criminal liability.
Police account
According to the MyJoyOnline report, the Police said the latest violence followed the alleged enskinment of Mr. Musah as a rival chief at an undisclosed location, despite an injunction reportedly restraining the ceremony.
The report said clashes subsequently broke out between rival factions, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to a soldier after gunmen allegedly opened fire on a military vehicle responding to the disturbance.
It further reported that those allegedly behind the enskinment left Bunkpurugu shortly after the ceremony and were being pursued by Police. (MyJoyOnline)
These claims remain matters for investigation.
Family challenges presentation of chieftaincy dispute
The Jamong Royal Family has also challenged what it considers an incomplete presentation of the broader Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute.
It cited an 83-page judgment of the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs delivered in February 2026.
According to the Family, the judgment determined that the Jamong Family is the sole recognised royal family entitled to present candidate(s) for the Bunkpurugu skin and rejected the proposition that the skin rotates among the Jamong, Jafok and Nampauk families.
The Family further said the Committee made consequential orders concerning the traditional regalia and the holding out of the respondent as Bunkpurugu Naba.
The Family therefore argues that the dispute should not be presented simply as an attempt by one side to impose a “rival chief” without explaining the relevant judicial and customary history.
The legal status and effect of the judgment, as well as any subsequent proceedings or orders, remain matters to be determined from the applicable court and traditional-authority records.
Earlier reporting also questioned
The Jamong Royal Family also raised concerns about an earlier MyJoyOnline publication by Mr. Tanko dated June 3, 2025, titled “Bunkprugu Paramount Chief officially gazetted after 18-year legal battle.”
That report stated that Naba Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong had been officially gazetted by the National House of Chiefs and described the gazettement as formally confirming his status as the legitimate traditional ruler of the Bunkprugu Traditional Area. (MyJoyOnline)
The Jamong Royal Family argues that subsequent proceedings before the National House of Chiefs materially changed the legal context surrounding the dispute.
The Family also alleges that a representative contacted Mr. Tanko by telephone to raise concerns about aspects of the 2025 publication, but that the call was terminated and the representative’s number subsequently blocked.
The Family has invited Mr. Tanko to clarify what transpired if that account is disputed.
Calls for accuracy and clarification
The Jamong Royal Family has called on Mr. Tanko and MyJoyOnline to clarify the precise basis for the reported police manhunt and the status of each of the individuals named.
It is also asking that the relevant judicial and customary history of the Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute be reflected accurately in subsequent reporting.
The Family wants any materially inaccurate or misleading portions of the report corrected and, where necessary, a clarification published with appropriate prominence.
It has also urged journalists and media organisations covering the dispute to exercise particular care when reporting allegations involving identifiable individuals.
Family reserves legal options
The Jamong Royal Family said it respects press freedom and the media’s role in informing the public but maintained that such freedom carries corresponding responsibilities of accuracy, verification, fairness and responsible attribution.
It said the affected persons and the Family reserve all rights and remedies available under the Constitution and laws of Ghana should their concerns remain unaddressed, including the right to seek appropriate legal redress.
The Family maintained that it remains committed to pursuing its customary and legal interests through the appropriate institutions and to resolving the Bunkpurugu dispute through lawful and peaceful processes.
The latest development adds another chapter to the longstanding Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute, with the Police investigating the reported violence while the Jamong Royal Family challenges aspects of the public narrative surrounding the incident and calls for the relevant legal and customary context to be fully reflected.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com