‘Bullet that killed famous vigilante Budo was made of rice grains and cowries’ – ‘Kumasi Street King’ reveals

To many, he was a modern-day Sampson, a figure whose story blended bravery and notoriety. A champion for the downtrodden and a symbol of citizen vigilance in Kumasi, specifically in the neighbourhood of Buokrom.

He was born Yaw Aboagye, but he became known by a multitude of nicknames such as Budo, Joe Kutani, Ali Joe, and Wofa oo Wofa. Budo was a legendary figure during the 1990s, renowned for his immense strength and courageous acts. His fame spread far and wide, making him a feared and revered presence in every corner of Kumasi.

Those who witnessed Budo’s vigilantism firsthand, sometimes overshadowed by unfortunate incidents, hold fond memories of him. He was an immortal in their minds, an indomitable force that seemed destined to live forever. However, on August 31, 2004, their world was shattered when news broke of Budo’s passing.

Since the passing of Budo, there have been numerous stories of how he died and what killed him. Some say he was killed over a land dispute; others claim his pact with the devil had ended. However, Ashtown Spirito, a famous street king and godson of Budo narrates how the legendary Buokrom Budo was killed.

In a one-on-one interview with a Kumasi-based media outlet, Ashtown Spirito revealed that Budo was shot dead with an enchanted bullet made up of grains of rice and cowries.

Narrating how it all happened, Ashtown Spirito explained that he believed the then Chief of Buokrom, a relative of Budo had wanted his downfall. According to Spirito, there was an internal division in the family and Budo led the side against the Chief.

“We knew that the Chief wanted Budo to fall because there was a family dispute and Budo was used to front all opposition against the Chief. So, we all knew they were after each other,” Spirito recounted.

He continued to say that, the Chief had a group of ex-air force officers as his personal guards and the daughter of one of these guards was the lover of Budo. The lover worked as a seamstress at the palace and one day, after a dispute between Budo and his lover, an angry Budo stormed the palace, ransacked the place and destroyed some sowing machines and the office space of the lady

Budo’s action infuriated the ex-serviceman who swore Budo could only do that because the men were not in the house. He swore to end the life of Budo should he pull a similar stunt in his presence.

Upon hearing the threats from the guard, Budo returned to the palace to dare him. According to Spirito, the guard upon sighting Budo at the entrance shouted, “You could only do what you did because there were no men in the house”.

Spirito said Budo replied saying, “But are you a man?”. The guard then warned to kill him should he take a next step. Budo ignored, attempted to move and he was immediately shot at by the ex-serviceman.

Spirito revealed that the doctors that attended to the corpse of Budo were shocked to learn that the bullet that killed him was made of grains of rice and cowries.

According to Ashtown Spirit, Budo was allergic to rice and never for once, in their many years together had he seen Budo eat rice.