Police arrest eight suspects over assault and fraudulent activities in Bono Region
Story by: Regina Bless
The Ghana Police Service has arrested eight suspects for their alleged involvement in assault and fraudulent activities at Kotokrom, a suburb of the Sunyani West Municipality in the Bono Region.
According to a press release issued by the Bono Regional Police Command on October 9, 2026, the arrests followed an incident on October 4, when a patrol team received a distress call at about 4:30 p.m. reporting that a group of people were attacking an individual.
Upon arriving at the scene, the police found the victim, identified as 21-year-old Godstime Umukoro, with multiple marks of assault on his body. The eight suspects were arrested at the scene.
The suspects have been identified as Peter Mbam, 24; Godwin Moses, 26; Humble Oweifah, 18; Osas Ogbemudia, 30; Samuel Aisosa, 22; Ashile Godbess, 24; Alexander Uyuo, 30; and Patrick Romans, 25.
The police statement indicated that during interrogation, the suspects admitted to subjecting the victim to severe beatings as part of his initiation into an internet fraud operation, a process they claimed they had also undergone.
Preliminary investigations further revealed that the group was allegedly brought to Ghana by a man identified as Nwachukwu King Augustine, described in the statement as their chairman.
According to the police, the group allegedly lured unsuspecting victims through online conversations using downloaded images of foreign military personnel. They reportedly pretended to be soldiers stationed at the war front in Yemen and used these false identities to gain the victims’ trust and collect money, which was subsequently paid into their alleged leader’s account.
The Bono Regional Police Command has commended members of the public for their swift intervention and encouraged continued cooperation with the police in the fight against crime.
The incident raises concerns about the dangers of online fraud, the exploitation of vulnerable individuals and the use of violence in criminal activities. It also highlights the need for greater public awareness of online scams and the importance of reporting suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.
Members of the public are encouraged to exercise caution when communicating with strangers online, particularly individuals who claim to be foreign military personnel or request money under suspicious circumstances.
The police are expected to continue investigations into the case as efforts to address the alleged criminal activities proceed.