Story by Eugene Nyarko Jnr. l Accra l March 9, 2026
The Ghana Police Service and the Cyber Security Authority have outlined a number of significant operational developments, including the arrest of a pastor over alleged child sexual abuse materials, the remand of five suspects in the lynching of a Liberian national, and the arrest of ten persons linked to the theft of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) cables.
The developments were disclosed at a joint press briefing at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra on Monday, March 9, 2026.
Addressing the media, Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor said the Police Service, in collaboration with partner agencies, continues to intensify intelligence-led operations aimed at combating cybercrime, child sexual exploitation, economic crimes and other serious offences against persons and public infrastructure.
The briefing highlighted four key operational updates recorded by the Police and its partners.
Pastor Arrested in Child Abuse Case
The Police, working with the Cyber Security Authority and National Security, arrested a 45-year-old pastor, Ebenezer Conduah, in the early hours of March 6, 2026 at Woraba, a suburb of Eguase in Cape Coast in the Central Region.
The suspect, who is the lead pastor of Mahanaim Christian Center at Ankaful in Cape Coast, was arrested for alleged offences involving a minor, including defilement and the production and possession of child sexual abuse materials.
Police investigations revealed that in August 2021, the suspect allegedly took in a 13-year-old junior high school student under the pretext of offering spiritual counselling and behavioural correction. The suspect is alleged to have repeatedly sexually abused the victim over an extended period and recorded videos of the acts on his mobile phone.
According to the Police, in some instances the victim was allegedly forced to hold up materials displaying an adult pornographic website and made to state on camera that she was accessible on that platform.
The abuse came to light after the victim confided in her school headmistress, who reported the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Cape Coast.
A search conducted at the suspect’s residence led to the retrieval of several items including an HP laptop, three external hard drives, five pen drives, an Android mobile phone, a tablet, two electronic vibrators with accessories, assorted contraceptives, lubricant, a used pregnancy test kit and two ladies’ panties.
Police said forensic investigators, with technical assistance from the Cyber Security Authority, discovered evidence indicating the production of child sexual abuse materials as well as three private pornographic website accounts stored on the suspect’s digital devices.
The suspect had earlier been charged before the Cape Coast Circuit Court with defilement of a female child under 16 years and child pornography.
He was rearrested and arraigned before a Circuit Court on March 8, 2026 on an additional charge of possessing an indecent image of a child under the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038). He has been remanded into prison custody and is expected to reappear before the court on March 27, 2026.
Five Remanded Over Lynching
Meanwhile, the Police Homicide Unit has taken over investigations into the death of Austin Tengbeh, a 24-year-old Liberian national and information technology specialist who was lynched at Sakumono-Lashibi in Accra on February 27, 2026.
Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.
They are Vincent Adzikah, Francis Amuzu, William Anderson, Enoch Mensah and Nana Agyenim Boateng.
Police said three of the suspects were arrested at the scene by officers from the Sakumono District Police on the day of the incident, while another suspect who initially went into hiding was later arrested on March 4.
A fifth suspect, whose alleged instructions are believed to have triggered the chain of events leading to the lynching, was subsequently arrested.
A post-mortem examination was conducted on March 5 after the body was formally identified by the deceased’s brother-in-law. Police said a full autopsy report will be issued after the toxicology analysis is completed.
All five suspects have been remanded into police custody and are expected to reappear before the Baatsona District Court on March 16, 2026.
The Police condemned the act of mob justice and reminded the public that lynching is a criminal offence under Ghanaian law.
Ten Arrested Over Stolen ECG Cables
In another operation, the CID Headquarters Operations Unit, in collaboration with officials of the Ministry of Energy, uncovered a large stockpile of stolen ECG service cables at the Kpone Industrial Area near Tema.
The operation, carried out on March 4, 2026, led to the arrest of ten suspects believed to be part of an organised cable theft and metal export syndicate.
Police said officers who raided the premises of Sentuo Company found about 70 workers cutting ECG service cables into pieces and stripping the metal components from the insulation, with the extracted wires being compressed into metal blocks believed to be intended for export.
More than 100 drums of service cables believed to belong to the Electricity Company of Ghana were discovered at the site.
The suspects include two Ghanaian nationals, Samuel Ekpe and Priscilla Padu, as well as several Chinese nationals believed to be playing managerial roles within the company.
A 24-hour police guard has been placed at the premises to prevent the removal of materials while investigations continue.
Cold Case Investigations Intensified
The Police also announced that the CID’s Cold Case Unit has intensified investigations into several high-profile cases involving murder, disappearance and violent death.
Among the cases under renewed investigation is the disappearance of Paulina Lamisi Akanbodiipo, the Tema West Constituency Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who was reported missing on June 12, 2024.
Other cases include the murder of Stella Adzoa Potakey Donkor at Tema Gulf City on February 11, 2024, the killing of Dizengoff Ghana employee Anthony Kudzo Ahiamah at Oyarifa on September 18, 2024, and the fatal stabbing of Asante Kotoko supporter Francis Yaw Frimpong, popularly known as Nana Pooley, during a football match involving Asante Kotoko and Nsoatreman FC.
The Police appealed to members of the public to volunteer any information that could assist investigators, assuring that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.
