DISTURBING Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that the Omanhene of Tuobodom, Nana Baffour Asare II, was yesterday kidnapped by unknown heavily-built men known in local parlance as ‘machomen’ and subjected to severe beatings like a criminal. According to his counsel, Nana Obiri Boahen, about seven ‘machomen’ believed to be personal bodyguards of Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw, stormed the Wenchi High Court yesterday morning around 9:00am and whisked the chief into a waiting vehicle to the Techiman Chief Palace where he was stripped naked, together with his secretary, Mr. Boahene. They were tied up and beaten mercilessly under the watch of the Techiman Omanhene.

Describing the incident as “serious and terrible”, Nana Obiri Boahen said a police officer who attempted to get into the car and rescue the kidnapped chief and his secretary was violently pushed to the ground, sustaining some injuries in the process.

The situation, according to Nana Obiri Boahen, brought proceedings to a halt because the presiding judge looked nervous and thereby sat for only four minutes and closed for the day.

At the Techiman Palace, an eyewitness told DAILY GUIDE that he saw the Tuobodom chief and another person tied up and dragged on the ground as some well-built men gave them several blows as if they were armed robbers.

According to the eyewitness, the Omanhene of Techiman, Nana Akumfi Ameyaw, was loitering around while his men carried out the assault on the Tuobodom chief.

The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Charles Seth Oteng, who confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE, said the chief was arrested and brought to the regional headquarters. According to him, he is currently under investigation in connection with the October 8, 2008 assassination attempt on the chief of Techiman.

In yesterday’s edition, we published that there was growing tension between the two neighbouring towns, which could lead to bloodshed.

It would be recalled that four people from Tuobodom, namely Seth Boadu, Kusi Appiah, Kwasi Abraham and Kwaku Addai, on February 16, were kidnapped at the Fiapre Court by some ‘machomen’ from Techiman, after the quartet were accused of being involved in the shooting of Omanhene of Techiman at the outskirts of Tuobodom on October 8, 2008.

Meanwhile, all efforts to reach Nana Akumfi Ameyaw for his comments proved futile as his phone lines were switched off.