News
Police arrest suspects in child exploitation, murder and trafficking cases- CID boss confirms
The Ghana Police Service has announced major breakthroughs in several criminal investigations, including child sexual exploitation, murder, cybercrime and child trafficking cases across the country.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the police continued to record significant successes in the fight against serious crimes.
She said three Ghanaians had been arrested for allegedly producing and sharing indecent images and videos involving children in the Ashanti and Bono regions.
According to her, the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police and Interpol after intelligence revealed that an Australian suspect standing trial had received child sexual exploitation materials from facilitators in Ghana.
She explained that investigations by Interpol Accra and the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit led to the rescue of four children between the ages of six and 13.
“All three suspects are currently in police custody assisting investigations while the victims are receiving care and support,” she said.
Ms Donkor noted that some of the suspects were relatives of the victims, including an older brother and a mother.
She warned that child sexual abuse remained a serious offence punishable by imprisonment and assured the public that the police would continue to work with international partners to fight such crimes.
On a separate case, she said the CID had arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of Theophilus Ashite Amma, a 27-year-old car dealer whose burnt body was found inside a vehicle at Adenta Fuel Link on the Legon Bypass in April this year.
She identified the suspect as Omtete, who was described as a close friend and neighbour of the deceased.
According to her, the suspect was arrested in Togo through Interpol collaboration while allegedly attempting to sell the deceased’s mobile phone.
Investigations, she said, showed that the suspect allegedly lured the victim to his house under the pretext of selling a vehicle, attacked him and later burnt the body and vehicle in an attempt to destroy evidence.
She added that CCTV footage captured the suspect at the scene.
Ms Donkor said the suspect had been remanded into police custody while investigations continued.
The CID boss also announced the arrest of Joshua Kojo Anani Buati, a 36-year-old entrepreneur from East Legon, over the alleged non-consensual sharing of intimate images online.
She said investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly drugged female victims with sedatives, sexually abused them, recorded the acts and shared the videos on a Telegram platform known as “VIP Sleek Fetish 2025.”
According to her, police retrieved mobile phones, laptops, memory cards and other electronic devices during a search at the suspect’s residence.
“The electronic devices have been retained for forensic examination,” she stated.
In another development, Ms Donkor said police had arrested Lucinda Naomi Otri, a midwife at Trust Mother and Child Hospital at Osu, for allegedly taking part in a child trafficking syndicate.
She alleged that the suspect paid money to facilitate the transfer of missing children and instructed that another child be sent to a couple living at Pokwase.
She said investigations into the case began after the disappearance of seven-year-old Khadija Kareem in Kasoa.
According to her, police later linked the suspects to another child stealing case involving a 10-month-old baby and a five-year-old girl.
She said the infant and Khadija Kareem had since been rescued, but the five-year-old girl was still missing.
The police, she added, were appealing to anyone with information about the child’s whereabouts to contact the nearest police station.
Meanwhile, the CID has also arrested a 25-year-old fetish priest and herbalist in connection with the murder of Joyce Ekua Ankoma, whose mutilated body was found at Ewutu Bintum in the Central Region.
Ms Donkor said investigations revealed that the deceased had visited the suspect for spiritual assistance before he allegedly attacked and killed her.
She said the suspect later led police to locations where parts of the deceased’s body had been buried.
The CID Director-General thanked Interpol, the Australian Federal Police and authorities in Togo for supporting the investigations.
She commended the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and officers involved in the operations for their dedication and professionalism.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
