Category: Local News

The Ghana Police Service says the two female victims involved in the recent kidnapping case were deceived through an online romance scam and later abducted in Nigeria

The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the National Signals Bureau (NSB) and the Nigeria Police Force, successfully rescued the two female victims who were kidnapped and featured in a viral video. The chilling footage, which captured the victims in distress, had sparked widespread public outrage and concern.

In a joint operation, eight suspects were apprehended in connection with the kidnapping, with arrests made in both Ghana and Nigeria. The suspects were located at various hideouts across the two countries, with law enforcement agencies working together seamlessly to track and capture the perpetrators.

According to DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the victims, Anastasia Badoo Atta and Serwaa Konadu, were targeted by suspects posing as white men on Facebook. The perpetrators convinced the unsuspecting women to accept marriage proposals, ultimately luring them to Nigeria.

“The suspects met the two victims through their Facebook accounts, posed as white men who wanted to marry them, and convinced them to accept the marriage proposal,” DCOP Donkor stated.

The victims traveled separately but arrived at the same location in Nigeria on April 22, 2025, where they were kidnapped by Peter Okoye and his two accomplices.

The abductors subjected the women to severe physical abuse, stripping them naked, tying them up, and assaulting them with cutlasses. They also threatened to kill them, covered their heads with black polythene, and recorded the violent acts on video.

The kidnappers sent the footage to the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of GHS500,000 from each family. In response, a total of GHS18,000 was paid to various phone numbers linked to the suspects.

DCOP Donkor confirmed that both the victims and suspects are currently in the custody of Nigerian authorities. Efforts are underway to transport the victims back to Ghana and extradite the suspects to assist in investigations.

“At the moment, information received from our counterparts in Nigeria indicates that both victims are fine. They have received routine medical checks,” she assured.

President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Prof. Seidu Alidu, Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana, as the new Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission.

He brings extensive experience in academia, public policy, and governance to his new position at the Water Resources Commission.

In 2014, he was selected as a Donahue Institute Scholar in United States Political Thought at the University of Massachusetts. He also served as a fellow at the Maria Sibylla Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), where his research focused on parliaments and democracy on the African continent.

Prof. Alidu has collaborated with a number of international and local policy institutions and think tanks. These include the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) in Nairobi, Kenya; the Centre for International Development Issues Nijmegen in the Netherlands; the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex; the Institute for Democratic Governance; the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the Varieties of Democracy Project at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden; the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College; the German-African Governance Partnership Organization; and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York.

He has published widely in his field, with articles appearing in journals such as Peace Review, Criminal Justice Studies, Transitional Justice Review, Journal of African Political Economy and Development, Contemporary Journal of African Development, and Ghana Studies.

His new role is expected to benefit from this broad-based experience and scholarly background, particularly in guiding water resource policy and governance initiatives.

The chiefs and people of Akyem Tafo have announced a ban on noise making, effective June 3 to June 17, 2025.

The directive forms part of preparations for this year’s Ohumkan Festival, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the reign of the Tafohene, Daasebre Adusei Peasah.

The Ohumkan Festival, celebrated by the people of Tafo, is the first traditional festival to be observed in the Akyem Abuakwa State and marks the green light for the consumption of yam across Okyeman.

Speaking to the media, the Kyidomhene of Akyem Tafo, Nana Adepa Amponsah Yeboah, said this year’s festival promises to be memorable as it honours both tradition and the leadership of Daasebre Adusei Peasah.

According to Nana Adepa Amponsah Yeboah, the Tafohene’s four-decade reign has been marked by impactful leadership across various sectors including education, sanitation, agriculture, and social interventions.

The week-long celebration will showcase the rich culture of the people of Akyem Tafo and Okyeman.

The main durbar, scheduled for June 21, will be preceded by a series of activities including an inter-school’s quiz competition, musical jams, a cooking contest, football matches, and a traditional and cultural day.

Accra is facing a looming health crisis as all landfill sites within the city have reached full capacity, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has warned.

The alarming update was revealed during a recent working visit by the Parliamentary Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources to assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.

Director of Waste Management at the AMA, Engineer Solomon Noi, attributed the worsening situation to the absence of engineered landfill sites and inadequate waste disposal infrastructure.

“We used to dump at a place called Nsumia in Ga West, near Blue Skies. Once that quarry site was filled, we moved to Nsawam. Nsawam Adoagyiri was also using it until it evolved into a joint site for the Greater Accra and Eastern regions, which is now privately managed by West Landforce,” he said.

Mr. Noi disclosed that the only engineered landfill site available is located at Kpone, while a new site is being considered at Ayidan in the Ga South Municipality.

“There are important environmental factors to consider before siting a landfill. Apart from the one at Kpone and the proposed site at Ayidan, there are no engineered sites available for safe waste disposal,” he stressed.

Mr. Noi warned that without swift government intervention, Accra could soon face a severe disease outbreak.

“We’re transporting waste from Accra to distant sites, but these sites are not engineered. When it rains, leachate seeps into rivers and depressions and eventually flows back into the city, posing a significant health risk,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the handling of medical and sanitary waste, highlighting the role of waste pickers — many of whom are migrants from neighbouring countries — in spreading infections.

“All the hospital and healthcare waste ends up at the same dumping sites, mixing with general waste. These waste pickers often collect and return to the city, which contributes to recurring outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhoid,” he explained.

To curb the looming health threat, Mr. Noi recommended the construction of a modern intermediate waste treatment facility.

“The sustainable solution is for government to invest in an intermediate treatment facility — specifically, a state-of-the-art incineration plant — to handle non-recyclables such as baby diapers, sanitary pads, and healthcare waste,” he said.

“Pathogens would be destroyed in the furnace before the bottom ash is transferred to a landfill site. That’s how we break the cycle of disease infection,” Mr. Noi added.

The Ghana Police Service has launched a manhunt for suspected armed robbers who shot and killed two police officers in Binduri in the Upper East Region.

The tragic incident occurred at Poyamirea, near the outskirts of Binduri, where the officers, who were in plain clothes and riding a private motorbike, were reportedly ambushed while traveling from Bongo to Binduri.

According to preliminary investigations, the attackers opened fire on the officers and made away with their motorbike.

Authorities have withheld the names of the deceased officers to allow for proper notification of their families, in accordance with customary practices.

In a statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, the police administration extended its condolences to the bereaved families and assured the public of swift action.

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region to remove outdoor advertising billboards mounted on pedestrian bridges and vehicular footbridges.

This directive comes amid rising concerns over non-compliance with the Services-Advertising Specification for Outdoor Signs (GS: 847:2019), which states clearly that “the primary and sole function of road or bridge arches/gantries shall be for traffic management.”

In a statement, the NRSA said the move is intended to improve road safety by eliminating visual distractions and ensuring that critical road infrastructure is used appropriately.

“We are taking this action to reduce visual distractions on our roads and ensure that structures like footbridges and overpasses serve their intended purpose—safe and efficient traffic management,” the Authority noted.

Assemblies have been given a 21-day window to comply, after which the NRSA said it would initiate enforcement actions against any defaulters.

“This is not just a regulatory requirement, it’s about protecting lives. Advertising cannot come at the cost of road safety,” the statement added, stressing that the directive is in the best interest of public safety.

Mahama Fuseini has been confirmed as the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Central Gonja District in the Savannah Region.

His confirmation took place on Monday, April 14, 2025, following a vote by assembly members.​

Out of the 43 votes cast, Fuseini received 42 ‘Yes’ votes and one ‘No’ vote, representing approximately 98% approval from the assembly members.​

In his acceptance speech, Fuseini pledged to advance the development agenda of President John Dramani Mahama within the Central Gonja District.

His nomination was part of a broader list of appointments made by President Mahama, which included several other nominees across various regions. These nominations were announced in late March 2025 and were pending approval by their respective assemblies.