Abdul Rashid Gbambu (PhD)security Communication and Media AnalystGhana, long celebrated as a beacon of stability in West Africa, is grappling with a surge of unsettling security incidents that have begun to test its reputation for peace and order. Over the past year, the country has seen a worrying escalation in violent crime, targeted attacks, and transnational threats, from kidnapping cases that shock the conscience to armed ambushes that leave highways bloodstained.
Among the most chilling developments was the murder of Immigration Officer Stephen King Amoah, who vanished on 3 July 2025, after leaving home in Kwabenya, Accra (Tetteh, 2025). Days later, his charred body was discovered on the Abuom-Abokobi road, showing clear signs of stabbing before it was set alight. Police investigators traced his last digital contact to a man who lured him under the guise of repaying a debt. The case has unsettled both the Immigration Service and the wider public, exposing how personal connections and digital platforms can be weaponised to target even those sworn to protect the nation.
Equally disturbing has been the spate of kidnappings, notably the abduction of Ama Serwaa Konadu, a hairdresser and decorator from Asiakwa, who was attacked and humiliated in videos circulated by her captors. At the same time, they demanded ransom on 22 April 2025 (Kanarku, 2025). A separate incident on 1 June 2025, in Takoradi’s Effiakuma community, uncovered 25 victims, lured by false job promises, held in a flat lined with voodoo artefacts (3New, 2025). These episodes reveal how organised groups are adapting old criminal methods to new technologies and cross‑border operations, exploiting gaps in Ghana’s monitoring systems.
The country’s northern corridors have also been gripped by armed ambushes linked to long‑standing tensions in Bawku. Gunmen have blocked sections of the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway, shooting at passengers, burning vehicles, and allegedly screening victims by ethnicity. At least two passengers were killed in one attack near Walewale, echoing similar assaults that have left dozens dead since late 2024 (Pulse Staff, 2024).
These incidents do not stand in isolation. They sit atop a pile of other security challenges, such as illegal mining clashes that have left miners dead in Obuasi, violent robberies targeting mobile money vendors, assaults on firefighters and even soldiers, and the creeping threat of militant infiltration from the Sahel.
What Lies Beneath?
The growing sense of insecurity is not merely the sum of individual crimes; it points to deeper structural issues. First is the proliferation of illegal weapons. Experts have long warned of porous borders and weak regulatory enforcement, which have allowed small arms and light weapons to circulate widely. Every illicit rifle or pistol in civilian hands raises the stakes in confrontations, turning petty disputes or robberies into lethal encounters.
Second is the weakness of intelligence‑led policing. Many of the attacks, whether on highways or in the case of Officer Amoah’s murder, reveal gaps in early detection and information flow. Communities often notice signs of trouble, such as strangers gathering, unusual online recruitment schemes, and suspicious movements, but these warnings rarely become actionable intelligence before tragedy strikes.
Third are the simmering ethnic and chieftaincy tensions, especially in the north. The long‑running Bawku conflict often flares into violence that spills beyond its boundaries. When attackers block highways to target ethnic rivals, it is not just crime but a dangerous mix of grievance and opportunism. What is most troubling is the weak response from state authorities. When vigilantes or armed groups set up roadblocks, kill travellers, and the state seems slow to act, it legitimises such behaviour and signals that lawlessness carries little risk. The same is true when groups clash violently for days while security forces fail to intervene. This inaction stems from a lack of political will by policymakers, whose reluctance to confront offenders leaves gaps in enforcement and weakens deterrence. Such impunity emboldens others to take the law into their own hands, becoming a remote yet powerful cause of Ghana’s growing insecurity.
There is also the economic undercurrent. Illegal mining clashes and kidnapping scams thrive in a climate of unemployment, inequality, and local frustration. For some, these activities are desperate survival tactics; for others, they have evolved into organised criminal enterprises exploiting these vulnerabilities. A critical layer often ignored in public discourse is the role of foreign nationals, particularly from neighbouring countries. Incidents such as the Takoradi kidnappings, where suspects were traced to Nigeria, and multiple attacks on taxi drivers with perpetrators fleeing to Nigeria before arrest at the Aflao border, underscore how cross‑border actors have become enmeshed in Ghana’s crime landscape. While it would be simplistic to generalise guilt to an entire nationality, evidence shows that some criminal networks use Ghana’s open borders, weak immigration checks, and regional mobility to commit crimes and retreat beyond jurisdiction. This dynamic not only strains bilateral relations but also exposes the state’s limited capacity to manage economic desperation when it intersects with transnational criminal opportunism. Lastly, technology has added a new layer of vulnerability. The cases of digital luring, officers and civilians invited to meetings via WhatsApp or trapped in romance scams, show how criminals are exploiting trust and connectivity in ways the security services are only beginning to understand.
The Way Forward
For Ghana, the answer is not simply to deploy more patrols or carry out more arrests. It demands a deliberate, multi‑layered response backed by the decisive use of state power to keep everyone on track and to signal clearly that the rule of law applies to all. The state must ensure that whoever breaches the law, whether an ordinary citizen, a vigilante group, or even public officials, faces real consequences.
Stronger border controls and arms regulations are crucial to choke off the flow of illegal weapons that fuel violence. Intelligence units need to build closer relationships with communities to detect threats before they escalate, while a more robust cybercrime strategy is essential to counter the scams, kidnappings, and luring schemes emerging online. Equally, there must be targeted investment in conflict resolution, mediation, and socio‑economic development in areas plagued by long‑standing ethnic and chieftaincy disputes, combined with firm enforcement measures when violence erupts.
Other issues cannot be ignored. The justice system must move swiftly on prosecutions so that impunity does not take root. Immigration enforcement should be tightened to deal with transnational criminal networks operating across porous borders. Public awareness campaigns should teach citizens to spot and report suspicious behaviour, and reforms should ensure that security agencies are adequately resourced, trained, and insulated from political interference.
Ghana still retains the goodwill of its people and the trust of much of the international community. Yet the recent strings of kidnappings, killings, and armed attacks are a stark warning. This is the time for the state to assert its authority, strengthen the foundations of national security, and rebuild trust between citizens and the institutions that protect, them before today’s cracks widen into fractures tomorrow.
References
3News. (2025). Effiakuma kidnap case: Police identify 5 suspects among 25 rescued victims. Retrieved July 27, 2025, from: https://3news.com/news/crime/effiakuma-kidnap-case-police-identify-5-suspects-among-25-rescued-victims.
Pulse Staff. (2024, October 28). 8 people shot dead as gunmen block Bolgatanga–Tamale highway. Pulse Ghana. Retrieved July 27, 2025, from: https://www.pulse.com.gh/articles/news/local/8-people-shot-dead-as-gunmen-block-bolgatanga-tamale-highway-2024102815295195042.
Pulse Staff. (2024, October 28). 8 people shot dead as gunmen block Bolgatanga–Tamale highway. Pulse Ghana. Retrieved July 27, 2025, from: https://www.pulse.com.gh/articles/news/local/8-people-shot-dead-as-gunmen-block-bolgatanga-tamale-highway-2024102815295195042.
Tetteh, E. (2025, July 10). One person arrested in connection with the murder of an immigration officer. MyJoyOnline. Retrieved July 27, 2025, from: https://www.myjoyonline.com/one-person-arrested-in-connection-with-the-murder-of-an-immigration-officer/.
