accounts that the defecting Denkyrian commanders had a minimal effect on the Denkyrian army at best, but in other accounts, it was around half left Denkyria to go and join the Amantoo, as by most accounts Ntim Gyakari was not a good ruler. It is said that the first town that changed allegiance from Ntim Gyakari to Osei Tutu was the Abooso people. Abooso was a town that lay in the vicinity of Adanse Akrokeri and Abankeseso. The inhabitants of this town were called Bontwumafo - the red clay people. The Denkyirahene made ten classes of men and women. These men and women were there to offer their bodies as a sacrifice to the King whenever a member of the royal family passed on. They were called the red clay people as when they were sacrificed, their blood was used as red clay in painting some parts of the body of the deceased and their bodies were placed in the grave on which the coffin was laid. Ntim Gyakari, known as a womanizer, took an Abooso wife. Then his mother, Akobena Abensua, fell mortally ill. Learning of this, the wife went to Abooso to alert her ‘‘Bontwumafo’’ kin. When news came that the King’s mother was dead, the Bontwumafo and the inhabitants of the surrounding towns immediately fled to escape being slaughtered in great numbers and sought refuge with Osei Tutu at Kumasi. When it was clear that the Bontwumafo were welcomed by Osei Tutu, others from Denkyira followed in numbers. Aboabo was a town near the Oda River. The town was inhabited by Denkyirahene’s shield-bearers (Akyamfuo) and villagers who prospected and panned for gold on the Ofin flats east of Watreso. A conflict arose between the Akyamfuo and the villagers, and during this, the villagers killed some of the shield-bearers. When Ntim Gyakari was told of the matter, he was incensed and summoned the villagers to appear before him. At the meeting the head of the villagers, Owusu Koanyama verbally abused the Occupant of the Bankam Dwa (the Denkyira Stool) saying that the hene’s servants (the shield-bearers) were ruffians who stole everything from the people. King Ntim Gyakari flew in a rage and ordered that Owusu Koanyama should be killed forthwith together with all his family. This was done on the spot. The villagers and the inhabitants of the towns close to Aboabo escaped to Amantoo. However, some then