The Principal Head of the Nii Narteh Aplaku Royal Family in the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Area in James Town in the Greater Accra Region, Nii Otiboh, has broken his silence, declaring that no chief has been installed in the area since the demise of the substantive chief, Nii Adams Aplaku II, on December 14, 1992.
He reaffirmed that the two individuals currently parading themselves publicly as chiefs of Aplaku—Kabu Adams and Nii Kwei III—have no bloodline connection to the Nii Narteh Aplaku Royal Family.
Addressing journalists to set the records straight, Nii Otiboh stated that the group of unaccredited elders who claim to have installed the two—led by the Okoso Family Head, Nii Tettey Mensah, and his associates Jones Appiah, Laryeh Hotcake, Tetteh Bibio, Tarwiah Owuo, and Papa Nii—are not members of the Nii Narteh Aplaku Royal Family.
He emphasized that his family is the only one vested with the traditional authority to enstool or destool a chief in the area.
Nii Otiboh, who is the biological son of the late substantive chief, reaffirmed that the Nii Narteh Aplaku Royal Stool is currently vacant.
He stressed that the stool is an honor reserved for descendants of the family founder and that neither Kabu Adams, Nii Kwei III, nor their supporters—including Nii Tetteh Mensah and his associates—hail from the rightful family.
Following developments in the community, Nii Otiboh revealed that he personally taken legal action against Nii Tetteh Mensah and his associates. The case is currently pending before the Judicial Committee of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council.
He expressed shock that Nii Tettey Mensah would defy the Committee’s orders and arrogate to himself the power to install Kabu Adams as a new chief.
“We are the only custodian family vested with the traditional authority to enstool or destool a chief in the area. We are the only rightful family to provide a suitable candidate who hails from the Nii Narteh Aplaku Royal Family to be installed as chief,” he stressed.
“This is because the land properties were given to Nii Narteh Aplaku, also known as Amperaku, now corrupted to Aplaku family. We are not aware of the purported installation of Kabu Adams as a new chief to ascend the throne. As Head of the Nii Narteh Aplaku Family, I have no hand in this installation. It was only this morning, Friday, November 14, 2025, that I was informed such an installation had taken place,” he told journalists.
The statement underscores that the Nii Narteh Aplaku Royal Stool remains vacant and that recent claims of an installation are illegitimate.
The stool family has faced longstanding disputes, with disagreements over proper installation procedures and concerns about unauthorized individuals laying claim to stool family lands.
Nii Otiboh insisted that the two individuals being promoted as chiefs have no blood relation to the royal family and, as non-royal lands, are not eligible for installation under the customs of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Area.
He emphasized that chieftaincy is a traditional institution rooted in customary law—not a contest of modern elections. Chiefs, he explained, are appointed by the appropriate elders and hold office for life or until voluntary abdication.
He condemned a viral video showing the purported installation of Kabu Adams, describing the act as improper, unlawful, and contrary to tradition.
Nii Otiboh also called on the public to condemn the bloody violence that erupted in Aplaku on Thursday, November 13, 2025, following the illegal installation of Kabu Adams as a chief—an act he said was carried out in blatant defiance of court and police orders, as well as established traditional protocols.
The illegal installation, reportedly conducted in a private residence in Aplaku, has triggered severe tension, insecurity, and confusion within the community.
The violence broke out when armed landguards opened fire on a faction aligned with Nii Kwei III. Three people sustained critical injuries and are currently receiving treatment at hospitals in Accra.
The installation ceremony was carried out by the same group of unaccredited elders—led by Nii Tettey Mensah, with support from Jones Appiah, Laryeh Hotcake, Tettey Bibio, Tarwiah Owuo, and Papa Nii.
Shockingly, the entire illegal process was allegedly supported by senior police officers from the Kokrobite District Police Headquarters and the Weija Divisional Police Command, as well as some national security operatives.
It has emerged that the feuding factions in Aplaku had previously been ordered by a court—with involvement from both the Kokrobite District and Weija Divisional Commands—to sign a peace bond requiring them to desist from acts that could breach public peace.
However, some senior officers from these commands allegedly aided Nii Tettey Mensah and his group in the unlawful installation, in defiance of the standing court order.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
