By Alex Ababio & Isaac Nsiah Foster
January 25, 2025
In a major breakthrough, the Ashanti Regional Police Intelligence Department (PID) has arrested one of West Africa’s most wanted criminals, 27-year-old Ibrahim Kayaba, a Togolese national alleged to be a murderer, kidnapper, and fraudster.
Kayaba was apprehended on Friday, January 24, 2025, at Asokwa in Kumasi, shortly after his ongoing criminal case at the Asokwa Circuit Court 2 was adjourned to February 14, 2025.
The Arrest
Investigative findings reveal that Kayaba, an illegal immigrant residing in Kumasi, was taken into custody by special agents from the PID at the Kumasi Central Police Station. He is expected to be transferred to Accra for further investigation and prosecution.
Police intelligence indicates that Kayaba has been on the run since May 2022 and is wanted in connection with the murders of two Togolese nationals, Lambounne Adama Kourag and Abdullai Jaboung, whose bodies were discovered at Adjen Kotoku in the Greater Accra Region.
A Trail of Crime Across West Africa
Kayaba’s criminal activities extend beyond Ghana. In June 2024, he was implicated in the abduction and murder of a Kumasi-based mason.Gabriel Annor..
investigations revealed that Kayaba and his gang lured the mason to Togo under the guise of offering him a lucrative contract to construct a mansion. The mason was kidnapped and subsequently killed.
Kayaba is believed to be part of a criminal network that includes Sinjonne Kojo, Sinjonne Abu, and Nanja Aboulaye, among others. While some members of this group have been arrested and convicted in various West African countries, others remain at large. In 2021, several members of the gang were deported after being convicted on multiple charges.
Previous Links to Crime
In April 2022, a fake gold and money-doubling syndicate operating out of Adjen Kotoku was uncovered by the police. During a raid on Easter Saturday, officers arrested three suspects—Seidu Sambianne (28), Samuel Yormekpe (42), and Nicholas Atsidokpo Kade (40)—as they attempted to flee in a Toyota Corolla with registration number GW 3409-19.
Investigators discovered a male victim’s body buried under a heap of sand at a gated property near the Adjen Kotoku Onion Market.
Searches on the premises yielded fake currency—GHC 200, 100, and 50 notes, along with $100 U.S. notes—stored in metallic boxes, a money-printing machine, and counterfeit gold.
The deceased, believed to be in his forties, was exhumed and transported to the Police Hospital morgue in Accra for identification and autopsy.
What’s Next?
Kayaba’s arrest is seen as a major step forward in combating cross-border criminal activities in West Africa. Authorities have assured the public that investigations are ongoing, with efforts being made to dismantle the wider criminal network.
As police work to close this case, victims’ families hope for swift justice and an end to the terror inflicted by Kayaba and his associates.
Below is the fact of the case:
Amasaman Division’s Investigation into Murder and Fake Currency
On April 16, 2022, at approximately 6:00 a.m., the Adjen Kotoku District Police Command, led by Superintendent of Police (Supol) Mr. Benjamin Dokurugu, acted on intelligence suggesting a suspected fake money-doubling syndicate had murdered a male victim and buried his body under a heap of sand near the Adjen Kotoku Onion Market.
The Operation
The police mobilized swiftly and raided a gated property in Adjen Kotoku containing two single roofed rooms. Before the raid, three suspects—28-year-old Seidu Sambianne, 42-year-old Samuel Yormekpe, and 40-year-old Nicholas Atsidokpo Kade—were intercepted while attempting to escape in a Toyota Corolla with registration number GW 3409-19 at Atorkope.
Officers deflated the vehicle’s tires to prevent their escape and retrieved keys to the gated compound from suspect Seidu Sambianne.
Discovery of Fake Currency and Machinery
The raid, supported by C/Supol Joseph Oppong, Greater Accra Regional Crime Officer, and C/Supol Francis Somoah, Amasaman Divisional Police Commander, led to the discovery of eight large metallic boxes and 15 smaller ones. These contained fake GHC 200, 100, and 50 notes, as well as counterfeit $100 U.S. bills, all wrapped in white paper bundles.
A money-printing machine and materials resembling fake gold were also retrieved from the property.
The Body Unearthed
The investigation extended to the back of the compound, where officers noticed a suspicious heap of sand. A payloader machine was used to excavate the site, leading to the recovery of the decomposed body of a male adult believed to be in his forties.
The crime scene management team inspected the body, which had severely deteriorated. Photographs were taken before the body was transported to the Police Hospital morgue for preservation, identification, and autopsy.
Suspects and Exhibits in Custody
The three suspects were taken to the Regional Headquarters for further investigation. The retrieved exhibits, including the Toyota Corolla, were also moved to the Regional Headquarters.
Justice Delayed
The case later implicated the alleged ringleader, Abu Sinjonne, who was arrested and detained at the Accra police cells. While in custody, a video of him went viral, showing Sinjonne confidently stating, “I will be coming out sooner than later as my supporters expect. If not, a dog would have impregnated my mother.”
True to his words, Sinjonne was released on bail in less than a month, despite facing charges including murder.
The case was referred to the Agyaben Court for committal. However, three years after the docket was forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department, no advice has been issued, and the trial has yet to begin.
Families of Victims Speak Out
Eric Lalle, the younger brother of one of the deceased, Abdullai Jaboung, expressed frustration at the delayed justice. “All efforts to ensure justice have proven futile,” he lamented.
“If not for Mr. Foster, the journalist, who has been very supportive of our cause, my family and I would have done nothing about this case. We don’t even have money to rent a hotel room in Ghana, but he and his team have been very supportive,” Eric added.
The family has petitioned the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Attorney General, the Minister of Justice, and the Togolese Ambassador over the past two years, but their appeals remain unanswered.
Eric expressed hope that the current government would expedite the case. “We believe with the change of government in Ghana, we will finally get justice. However, some security officers continue to frustrate our efforts to seek justice for our late brothers who were murdered by Abu Sinjonne, Kayaba, and their gangs,” he said.