Two young men have been arrested in Accra for allegedly impersonating members of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Task Force and attempting to extort money from a woman during the National Sanitation Day exercise on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
The suspects, identified as Enoch Aseda and Johnson Odai Gyebi, were accused of posing as enforcement officers and utilising the name of the AMA along with other security agencies to intimidate the public under the pretence of enforcing sanitation regulations.
According to reports regarding the incident, the suspects allegedly approached a young girl who was selling items and attempted to confiscate some of her belongings while asserting that they were conducting official enforcement duties.
Describing the incident, the young lady stated that one of the suspects approached her while she was managing items stored in a plastic bag and demanded that she hand over the items to him.
She mentioned that the suspect was later heard making phone calls and suggesting that the seized items were accumulating and that others should come to collect them, thereby creating the impression that he was part of an official enforcement team.
Security personnel, who grew suspicious of the suspects’ actions, intervened and arrested them.
The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, who was notified about the incident, condemned the alleged behaviour and cautioned that the Assembly would not tolerate individuals who exploited the name of the AMA, National Security, or other state institutions to extort money from unsuspecting citizens.
He expressed concern that such actions could tarnish the reputation of the Assembly and foster a false impression that legitimate AMA officers were involved in extortion.
The Mayor remarked that it was particularly troubling that young individuals would allegedly exploit the National Sanitation Day exercise, which was designed to encourage residents and businesses to enhance cleanliness, to take advantage of others.
