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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has warned that any chief within the Ashanti Kingdom found engaging the services of land guards to protect stool lands will be destooled immediately.
Speaking at the Manhyia Palace on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, during a courtesy visit by the newly appointed Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto, the Asantehene described the use of land guards as unlawful and contrary to the traditional governance practices of Asanteman.
“I will destool any chief who engages the services of land guards. They know very well that they have no such authority. When those lands were entrusted to them upon their enstoolment, I never instructed them to hire land guards to protect them. I did not grant them the power to employ people to use guns and harm others,” the Asantehene cautioned.
He urged all chiefs and individuals involved in land disputes to channel their grievances through the Manhyia Palace for resolution instead of resorting to violence or illegal security arrangements.
“If you have any land disputes with anyone, bring it before me, and we will resolve it amicably, for peace to prevail,” he added.
The Asantehene emphasised that acts involving land guards not only defy traditional authority but also threaten public safety and peace across the Ashanti Region.
His warning comes as the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036) explicitly outlaws the use of land guards and imposes severe penalties on individuals or groups who recruit or finance such illegal operations.
The Manhyia Palace has in recent times intensified its efforts to clamp down on chiefs and individuals whose actions undermine traditional and legal order in land administration within the kingdom.
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