Bono Regional Police Arrest 8 Suspects Over Sakawa Initiation Assault in Sunyani West

• The Bono Regional Police Command arrested eight suspects linked to an alleged sakawa initiation beating in Kotokrom
• The victim, 21-year-old Godstime Umukoro, was found with multiple assault marks after a patrol team responded to a distress call on October 4
• Investigators say the suspects posed as soldiers deployed to Yemen to defraud victims online, funnelling money to a leader they called their 'Boss'

Eight suspects are in police custody in the Bono Region following the alleged assault of a 21-year-old man who was subjected to a severe beating as part of his initiation into internet fraud, an activity locally known as sakawa.

A police patrol team responding to a distress call at approximately 4:30 p.m. on 4 October 2026 found the victim, Godstime Umukoro, at Kotokrom in the Sunyani West Municipality bearing multiple marks of assault on his body.

Officers proceeded to the scene after receiving reports that a group of individuals were attacking a person there, and made eight arrests.

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In a press release dated 9 October 2026, the Bono Regional Police Command said the suspects admitted during questioning that they had beaten Mr Umukoro as a condition of his entry into their internet fraud operation.

The suspects further claimed that they themselves had undergone the same process when they joined the group.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had been brought into Ghana by an individual identified as Nwachukwu King Augustine, described as their chairman.

According to the police, the group used downloaded photographs of foreign military personnel to conduct online scams.

They posed as soldiers serving on the war front in Yemen, using those personas to solicit money from unsuspecting victims. Funds collected were paid into an account belonging to the group's leader, referred to in the police statement as the "Boss."

Police Urge Public Cooperation

The Bono Regional Police Command commended members of the public whose swift intervention helped officers reach the scene and make the arrests.

Authorities also called on residents to sustain their cooperation with police in efforts to combat crime across the region.

The allegations against the eight suspects have not been tested in court, and the suspects had not been independently reached for comment at the time of publication.

Source: YEN.com.gh