By Eugene Nyarko Jnr. | Police Headquarters, Accra | May 12, 2026
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Lydia Yaako Donkor, has announced major breakthroughs by the Ghana Police Service in a series of high-profile criminal investigations, including child sexual exploitation, murder, child trafficking and cyber-related sexual offences.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor disclosed that several suspects had been arrested in coordinated operations carried out with local and international partners.
The Police said three Ghanaian suspects had been arrested in connection with child sexual exploitation offences involving the production and circulation of indecent images and videos of minors in the Ashanti and Bono regions.
The operation, conducted in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police and INTERPOL, also led to the rescue of four child victims aged between six and 13 years.
According to the CID, investigations began after INTERPOL Accra received intelligence from Australian authorities indicating that an Australian national standing trial in Australia had received child sexual exploitation materials from facilitators in Ghana in exchange for money transfers.
Police investigations subsequently led to the arrest of two suspects in the Ashanti Region and another in the Bono Region.
The victims are currently under the care of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), with support from the NGO Abuse Relief Corps.
The CID disclosed that some of the suspects were close relatives of the victims, including an older brother and a mother.
The Police warned that child sexual abuse and exploitation offences were increasing due to the ease with which such crimes could be committed online and pledged intensified collaboration with international partners to combat the menace.
In another development, the Police announced the arrest of Wisdom Tetteh in connection with the murder of 27-year-old car dealer, Theophilus Ashitey Amarh, whose burnt body was discovered in a vehicle at Adamafio Link near the Legon Bypass Road on April 7, 2026.
The suspect, described as a close friend and neighbour of the deceased, was arrested in Togo on April 30 through INTERPOL collaboration while attempting to sell the deceased’s mobile phone.
Investigators said the suspect allegedly lured the deceased to his residence under the pretext of a vehicle sale, attacked him and inflicted fatal head injuries before selling the victim’s Hyundai Elantra for GH¢170,000.
Police further alleged that the suspect transported the body to the crime scene, removed the vehicle’s number plate and set both the car and body ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence.
CCTV footage reportedly captured the suspect at the scene.
The CID also announced the arrest of Joshua Kojo Anane Boate, 36, over the non-consensual sharing of intimate images on a Telegram platform known as “VIP Sleep Fetish 2025.”
Police said investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly drugged female victims with sedatives, sexually abused them, recorded the acts and shared the content online without consent.
The suspect was arrested in East Legon during a joint intelligence-led operation involving the Cybercrime Unit and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Items retrieved from him included mobile phones, a laptop, an external hard drive, memory cards and empty sachets of Alprazolam and Midazolam pills.
The Police said the electronic devices would undergo digital forensic examination while the drugs would be submitted to the Food and Drugs Authority for analysis.
Meanwhile, the Police disclosed that another suspect, identified as Lucinda Naomi Otchere, a midwife at the Trust Mother and Child Hospital at Osu, had been arrested in connection with an alleged child trafficking syndicate.
Investigators said the suspect allegedly paid GH¢20,000 for a missing seven-year-old girl and later provided an additional GH¢35,000 to facilitate the transfer of another five-year-old child to a couple at Pokuase.
The case forms part of an ongoing investigation that has already resulted in the rescue of a 10-month-old infant and seven-year-old Kadija Karim.
However, the Police said a five-year-old girl believed to be in the custody of a couple at Pokuase near Agya Herbal remains missing.
The Police appealed to the couple to voluntarily hand over the child to the nearest Police station.
Five suspects are currently on remand while one suspect has been granted court bail.
In a separate case, the Police said a 25-year-old fetish priest and herbalist had been arrested over the murder of Joyce Akua Ampomaa, a 40-year-old trader whose mutilated body was discovered at Awutu Bentum in the Central Region.
According to investigators, the suspect allegedly lured the deceased into a bush under the pretext of collecting herbs before attacking and dismembering her.
Police said the suspect later led investigators to locations in the Volta and Central regions where parts of the deceased’s body had been buried.
The CID indicated that all recovered body parts had been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary while investigations continued.
The Ghana Police Service commended officers involved in the operations as well as international partners, including INTERPOL, the Australian Federal Police and authorities in Togo, for their support in the investigations.
COP Lydia Yaako Donkor also expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, for his leadership and support in the fight against crime.
