The Inspector-General of Police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team (CVET) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested 11 individuals, including Nigerian nationals, over allegations of using AI-generated deepfake videos to impersonate John Dramani Mahama for fraudulent online activities.
Police sources told MyjoyOnline.com that between May 1 and 3, 2026, CVET carried out coordinated cyber operations across Sogakope, Dabala, Tongu, Akatsi and Aflao in the Volta Region, leading to the arrest of five suspects.
They include Raphael Ablordeppey (32), Anipah Jonathan (23), Dzamesi Bright Kofi (35), Thomas Ayoyo (17) and Louis Segbawu (18), following intelligence on a group allegedly creating and circulating AI-generated videos impersonating the president.
A further operation on May 4, 2026, led to the arrest of six more suspects in Aflao, comprising five Nigerians and one Ghanaian.
The suspects are Bishop Esiri (46), Wisdom James (25), Ali Lucky (23), Edwin Edos (22), John Kofi Darlington (20), and Danu Peter (19), who is identified as the Ghanaian among the second group.
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The police retrieved several items during the operation, including laptop computers, mobile phones, internet routers, 120 pre-registered SIM cards, and a Nigerian-registered Mercedes-Benz ML 350 with registration number Lagos LSR 138HR.
According to the police, preliminary investigations suggest the suspects used AI-generated content to impersonate high-profile individuals in order to fraudulently solicit money and personal information from unsuspecting members of the public through online platforms.
Investigators also believe the group forms part of a wider cybercrime network involved in producing and distributing fraudulent digital content for financial gain.
In court on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, nine of the 11 suspects were remanded into police custody to reappear on May 25, 2026, while Thomas Ayoyo and Louis Segbawu were granted bail with two sureties each to be justified.
