A 20-year-old woman, Promise Yayra Asamani, has been arrested by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP’s) Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team for allegedly publishing false news that branded an Uber driver as a murderer.
The arrest follows a formal complaint lodged on Wednesday, 11th March 2026, by Selasie Kwaku Anthonio, a 43-year-old driver who saw his life upended after his photograph and vehicle registration were circulated on social media alongside grave criminal accusations.
The complainant reported that he was alerted by his nephew to a viral Snapchat post which featured his image and vehicle (registration AD-1479-25). The post falsely labelled him a “murderer and a thief”, alleging that he used signal jammers to disconnect passengers’ networks and carried offensive weapons to facilitate crimes.
The impact of the false publication was immediate and devastating, as Uber blocked Mr. Anthonio’s account following the report, depriving him of his primary source of income.
The driver expressed significant fear for his life, reporting numerous distressing calls from family and customers.
The victim cited the risk of mob justice due to the “killer” label attached to his professional profile.
Police investigations revealed that the post originated from a domestic misunderstanding involving the suspect’s sister, Stephanie Asamani.
On 9th March 2026, Stephanie booked a ride from Spintex to Oyibi. According to her statement to the police, a verbal altercation ensued after the driver requested to go “off-trip”. She also claimed to have seen a rag and a hammer in the car’s boot and overheard the driver speaking in Ewe about “bringing goods to the location”.
Upon returning home, Stephanie shared her suspicions and a screenshot of the driver’s profile with her sisters. Her younger sister, Promise Yayra Asamani, took it upon herself to author the Snapchat post, later claiming she did so “to create awareness”.
The Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team arrested Promise on Saturday, 14th March 2026, after she initially failed to honour a police invitation. During interrogation, she admitted that her post, which explicitly called the driver a “killer”, was based solely on her sister’s narrative and lacked any substantiating evidence.
The suspect was granted police enquiry bail on Monday, 16th March 2026, while investigations continue.
The police administration has used this incident to issue a warning to the public regarding the legal consequences of social media misconduct.
Authorities emphasised that publishing false news is a punishable offence under Ghanaian law and cautioned citizens to verify information before sharing, as the real-world consequences for victims can be irreparable.