Police Officer Shoots and Kills 25-Year-Old Stanley Ahadzi After Fare Dispute in Adjen Kotoku

On August 18, 2024, a tragic incident occurred at the frontage of the Koans Estate in Satellite-Kuntunse, Adjen Kotoku, in the Greater Accra Region. A 25-year-old man, identified as Stanley Ahadzi, was fatally shot following a dispute over fare with a commercial driver, who was later identified as a police officer.

The Amasaman Division of the Ghana Police Service has confirmed that the shooter, Constable Smith Gyekyi, is an officer with the International Relations Directorate of the Ghana Police Service. He had been moonlighting as a commercial driver when the incident occurred.

According to police reports, the deceased was not a passenger but had been called to the scene by Ms. Esther Owusua, a passenger who Constable Gyekyi had picked up from Ablekuma Joma and transported to the Koans Estate area in Satellite-Kuntunse. Ms. Owusua contacted Stanley Ahadzi to help guide her to her destination.

Upon Ahadzi’s arrival, a disagreement erupted between him and Constable Gyekyi over the fare Ms. Owusua was expected to pay. Tensions escalated, leading to the fatal shooting of Ahadzi. Eyewitness reports suggest that Constable Gyekyi, in a fit of anger, pulled out his firearm and shot the unarmed Ahadzi without provocation.

The deceased’s body has been transferred to the Police Hospital morgue for preservation, pending an autopsy.

After the incident, Constable Smith Gyekyi voluntarily surrendered himself to the police at Amasaman. He has since been detained, and his firearm has been confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.