A man known as Mustapha is accused of physically assaulting the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, after he is seen in a video hurling insults at him.
The footage has caused uproar.
The episode, which has gone viral on social media, highlights the Asantehene’s profound regard and the immediate repercussions of perceived disrespect.
Mustapha publicly mocked the Asantehene’s request that citizens of the Ashanti realm adhere to an early curfew in the first video.
He said that “only fools will obey and sleep early,” a claim that was swiftly widely denounced by society.
The remarks were interpreted as a direct threat to the Ashanti king’s traditional authority as well as disrespectful to the monarch.
The Manhyia Palace issued the Asantehene’s order as part of a broader security effort to maintain public safety and order, especially in Kumasi and the surrounding area.
Most locals had welcomed the decree, seeing it as an essential measure to keep the calm and reduce crime.
But things took a sharp turn when rumours started to circulate that Mustapha had been physically beaten by unidentified people in what seemed to be quick reprisal for his remarks.
A fresh video surfaced on his social media profile a few hours after the first one went viral. A clearly shocked Mustapha retracted his previous remarks and apologised profusely in the new video.
The event brings to light the significant influence of traditional leadership in Ghana as well as the possible risks associated with demeaning cultural leaders on social media. It also reminds people that traditional sanctions can occasionally be applied outside of official legal procedures and acts as a warning against vigilantism.
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