Africa

Ghanaian TikToker Jailed One Year Over False Ritual Claim Against President

Published

3 months ago

July 17, 2026

Ghanaian TikToker Jailed One Year Over False Ritual Claim Against President

A Ghanaian TikToker, Camilla Alhassan has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news over videos she posted about President John Dramani Mahama. Camilla Alhassan, 43, was convicted on Thursday, July 16, 2026, by the Accra Circuit Court for sharing a series of videos alleging, without evidence, that President Mahama sacrificed 32 cows as part of a ritual to help him win the 2024 general election.

Prosecutors told the court that Alhassan, who has more than 70,000 followers on TikTok, published several videos between late June and early July 2026 containing false and offensive allegations against the President and First Lady Lordina Mahama. According to the prosecution, the widely circulated videos included claims that President Mahama performed ritual sacrifices involving 32 cows to secure victory in the 2024 polls. She also alleged that the government’s distribution of sanitary pads to flood victims was an attempt to conceal what she claimed he had done.

Court documents revealed that Alhassan made further unsubstantiated allegations, including claims that President Mahama had committed sexual offences, fathered a child as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, and was responsible for the deaths of former Presidents John Evans Atta Mills and Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur. She also made offensive remarks and threats against the lives of the President and First Lady, statements the police said were considered capable of disturbing public peace and undermining national cohesion. Alhassan was arrested on July 9, 2026, through an intelligence-led operation after police intercepted the TikTok videos. She initially appeared before the Accra Circuit Court on July 10, where she pleaded guilty to both charges.

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Before sentencing, Alhassan claimed she was pregnant, which led the court to defer sentencing pending a medical examination. However, a medical examination conducted at the Police Hospital confirmed that she was not pregnant. During the sentencing hearing on July 16, her lawyer, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, said the court struck out the charge of electronic abuse, holding that it lacked jurisdiction to determine that offence. The court convicted her on the charge of offensive conduct and sentenced her to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour. According to her lawyer, the defence pleaded for a more lenient sentence, but the judge ruled that the increasing prevalence of similar offences warranted a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent. Under the law, offensive conduct is a misdemeanour carrying a maximum sentence of three years, but the court imposed one year after the defence pleaded in mitigation.

The Ghana Police Service has indicated that steps are being taken to prosecute Alhassan on a separate charge of false communication under the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), before the High Court. The police have cautioned the public against using online platforms to spread false information, issue threats, or publish unlawful content, reminding citizens that while freedom of expression is guaranteed, that right must be exercised responsibly.

The sentencing has sparked significant debate in Ghana about misinformation on social media and the balance between criminal sanctions and freedom of expression. Senior lawyer Kofi Bentil, Vice-President of IMANI Africa, argued that Alhassan should not have been criminally prosecuted over comments she made about President Mahama. He stated that the statements in question could amount to defamation but the appropriate response should not be criminal prosecution. This is not the first time an influencer has been jailed in Ghana. In September 2025, popular TikToker David Kwodwo Prah Afful, known as “Kwame Nkrumah II,” was sentenced to seven months in prison after being convicted of making death threats against President Mahama and members of parliament. President Mahama had previously stated that his government was considering ways to “sanitise” social media, instructing authorities to track down and arrest those spreading misinformation and disinformation.

Ghanaian TikToker Jailed One Year Over False Ritual Claim Against President

Africa

Djibouti Boat Disaster: 139 Migrants Dead, Dozens Missing

Published

5 days ago

October 11, 2026

Trends Admin

Djibouti Boat Disaster: 139 Migrants Dead, Dozens Missing

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after an overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti while carrying passengers towards Yemen, in one of the deadliest recent disasters along the migration route to Gulf countries.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, said the vessel was carrying more than 300 people when it overturned near Guhere, north of Obock, during the night of October 8–9, 2026.

Initial reports put the death toll at 109, including 15 children, with more than 116 people missing. Subsequent reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press cited an updated toll of at least 139 dead, with about 84 people still missing. The figures may continue to change as authorities verify recoveries and survivors.

The boat was reportedly carrying around 305 people, according to the IOM’s later account. At least 82 people survived the disaster, although early reports gave a slightly different survivor count.

The 15 children among the initially reported dead comprised nine girls and six boys. The IOM also reported that 52 of the bodies recovered were men and 42 were women.

The vessel capsized shortly after setting out on the perilous journey across the waters separating Djibouti and Yemen. Survivors said the boat was overcrowded, while the IOM described the incident as a devastating reminder of the dangers confronting people attempting the crossing.

The agency’s Chief of Mission in Djibouti, Alexandre Coissac, said its teams were working with local authorities to provide emergency assistance to survivors and affected families.

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Djiboutian authorities continued search-and-rescue operations as concerns mounted over the fate of those still missing. Local authorities were also providing medical care and arranging burials for recovered bodies.

The IOM said survivors were receiving assistance at its migrant response centre in Obock, including healthcare, food and psychosocial support.

The tragedy highlights the risks faced by migrants travelling along the Eastern Route, which connects the Horn of Africa to Yemen and, for many, onward destinations in the Gulf region.

Many people undertaking the journey are from Ethiopia and Somalia. They seek employment and better living conditions, while others are fleeing insecurity, conflict, drought and other hardships.

Despite the dangers, migrants continue to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the hope of reaching wealthier Gulf countries. The journey exposes them to shipwrecks, trafficking, exploitation and other serious threats.

The risks have been compounded by instability in Yemen, where fighting continues between the internationally recognised government and Houthi forces, alongside wider regional tensions. Meanwhile, renewed conflict and difficult living conditions in parts of Ethiopia have added to the pressures driving people to leave.

According to the IOM, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the Eastern Route in 2025, as the number of people attempting the journey increased.

The UN agency has called for greater support for Djibouti’s response, including search-and-rescue operations and emergency assistance for migrants.

The latest shipwreck has renewed calls for safer and legal migration pathways, as humanitarian agencies warn that people will continue to risk dangerous sea crossings while seeking security and economic opportunities.

As recovery operations continue, the final death toll may rise further as authorities verify missing-person reports and establish the number of people who were aboard the vessel.

Djibouti Boat Disaster: 139 Migrants Dead, Dozens Missing

Africa

FBI Raids Ghana Scam Centre, Detains Over 130 in $10m Fraud Probe

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2026

Trends Admin

FBI Raids Ghana Scam Centre, Detains Over 130 in $10m Fraud Probe

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has raided a suspected scam centre in Ghana, detaining more than 130 people and uncovering nearly $10 million in identified losses linked to an international fraud operation targeting Americans.

The operation, carried out under the FBI’s Operation Blackout, also led to the seizure of more than 300 electronic devices, while investigators identified 89 victims, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Patel announced the operation on Thursday, saying the Ghana raid was part of the FBI’s wider campaign against transnational scam networks operating through so-called scam compounds.

However, the FBI has not classified everyone detained as a suspected fraudster.

Patel specifically said the more than 130 people arrested or detained included victims who are expected to be repatriated to their home countries, suggesting that some people found at the facility may have been trafficked into the operation rather than involved in running the scams.

The FBI has not disclosed the exact location of the Ghana operation, the identities or nationalities of those detained, or the Ghanaian agencies that participated in the raid.

It also remains unclear how many of those detained will face criminal charges in Ghana or possible prosecution or extradition proceedings in the United States.

Patel said the investigation was continuing, warning that scam compounds are increasingly being used to target American citizens and inflict substantial financial losses.

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The Ghana operation is the latest action under Operation Blackout, which the FBI says is targeting organised fraud networks around the world.

According to Patel, the broader operation has so far resulted in roughly $17 billion in assets seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.

More than 10,000 Americans have also reportedly been warned before losing money, with the FBI estimating that about $670 million in losses were prevented.

The Ghana raid comes amid growing concern over the international expansion of online fraud and scam compounds, with law-enforcement agencies increasingly reporting links between cyber-enabled fraud and human trafficking.

In such operations, workers can be recruited through false employment offers and allegedly transported or coerced into participating in online fraud against victims in other countries.

Ghana has previously cooperated with U.S. authorities in investigations involving transnational fraud.

In July 2026, Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, was extradited to the United States after being arrested in Ghana in December 2025. U.S. prosecutors accused him of participating in a romance-fraud network that allegedly targeted more than 80 elderly Americans and caused losses exceeding $8 million.

The extradition involved cooperation between Ghanaian authorities and several U.S. and Ghanaian law-enforcement bodies, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Accra.

The latest FBI operation also comes as international enforcement agencies increase pressure on scam networks operating outside traditional fraud hotspots in Southeast Asia.

The FBI has not released further details about the Ghana raid, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The bureau is expected to provide additional information as investigators establish the roles of those detained and determine which individuals, if any, will face prosecution.

Those accused of criminal offences are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

FBI Raids Ghana Scam Centre, Detains Over 130 in $10m Fraud Probe

Africa

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Published

2 weeks ago

October 1, 2026

Trends Admin

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have been killed in a helicopter crash that claimed six lives in Marondera Rural, east of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.

The crash occurred at about 5pm local time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with the helicopter carrying six people, including Chivayo, his wife and two pilots.

Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed the deaths, while Zimbabwean authorities said there were no survivors.

The aircraft came down in the Marondera area, about 72 kilometres east of Harare, before catching fire. Emergency responders and investigators were deployed to the scene after the crash.

Zimbabwean aviation authorities said preliminary information indicated that fuel spilled after the impact before a fire broke out. However, officials stressed that the information did not establish what caused the helicopter to crash.

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The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with aviation officials and other investigators examining the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the incident.

Police said the bodies were badly burned in the post-crash fire, making formal identification necessary. Forensic specialists were subsequently involved in the identification and investigation process.

Chivayo, 43, was one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent and publicly visible businessmen. He was known for his high-profile lifestyle, philanthropy and extensive social-media presence, where he frequently displayed luxury cars, properties and other expensive possessions.

He also maintained close links with senior political figures in Zimbabwe, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

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His business activities and political connections had previously attracted public scrutiny, including allegations relating to government contracts and political financing. Chivayo denied wrongdoing in connection with such allegations.

News of his death triggered reactions across the region, with political and business figures expressing condolences to his family.

Kenyan President William Ruto was among those who mourned Chivayo, describing the Zimbabwean businessman as a friend.

The crash has generated significant attention in Zimbabwe because of Chivayo’s prominence and his public profile, but authorities have not attributed the accident to any specific mechanical, weather or human factor.

Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight circumstances, weather conditions, pilot actions and other available evidence as they work to determine what caused the fatal helicopter crash.

Authorities have not announced a final finding on the cause of the accident.