Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has warned Chiefs within the Ashanti Kingdom against employing land guards to protect lands under their stewardship, cautioning that any chief found engaging in such unlawful acts will be destooled.
Speaking at the Manhyia Palace on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, during a courtesy call by the newly appointed Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto, the Asantehene described the use of land guards as illegal and alien to Asanteman’s traditional governance system.
“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,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II cautioned.
He advised that chiefs or individuals involved in land disputes should channel their grievances through the Manhyia Palace for peaceful resolution rather than resorting to violence or unauthorised security measures.
“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 emphasized that the use of land guards not only violates traditional authority but also threatens public safety and peace within the region. His remarks coincide with the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which expressly prohibits the use of land guards and prescribes severe penalties for anyone who employs, engages, or promotes such illegal activities.