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The story of a Ghanaian king whose birth is linked to a mysterious leopard

To date, there is a statue of him mounted in the central area of Kumasi – one of a man with a gong-gong standing on a leopard.

His birth was remarkable, one that can never be forgotten in the history of the Ashanti land. An extraordinary birth of a royal.

The story is told of how in August 1892, a dangerous leopard had besieged Kumasi. After this was announced to residents by gong-gong beaters, then Asantehene – Nana Kwaku Dua III, summoned all skilled hunters and warriors with very clear instructions “Catch the leopard alive”.

While the search was going on the same day, a young royal – Nana Abakoma who resided in Edweso Besease, a few kilometers from the palace was ready to have a baby for her husband; Nana Kwaku Owusu.

According to information by History Ghana, credited to Nana Yaw Afre, Nana Abakoma was a princess and granddaughter of Asantehemaa Nana Afua Kobi I.

As fate will have it, the leopard was captured alive at Dominase (a ward in Kumasi) but only after it had killed two persons and injured 5 others.

Just about the same time the capture of the leopard was announced to the Asantehene, the ‘mmagyegyefo’ (royal midwives) had also arrived to announce the delivery of the royal baby by Nana Abakoma.

The King; Nana Kwaku Dua who was awed by both events proclaimed that the baby is named – Barima Kwame Kyeretwie. Kyeretwie in Twi is translated as “Catch the leopard” to signify the victory of the warriors over this leopard.

Barima Kwame Kyeretwie later became the 14th Asantehene with the stool name Otumfuo Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II.

A kente cloth has also been designed and named after this event. The literal meaning of this beautiful traditional hand-woven kente cloth is “the lion catcher”.

 

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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