The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has paid its last respect to the late Assistant Immigration Control Officer (AICO I) Cosmos Dakurah, who was murdered earlier this month in the Upper East Region.
The 24-year-old officer met his untimely death through gunshot wounds inflicted by unidentified assailants at Nangani in the Tempane District.
AICO I Dakurah and his colleague, AICO I Philip Lartey, were ambushed and shot while returning from duty on a motorbike on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at about 8:30 p.m.
At the solemn ceremony, personnel of the GIS, led by DCOI Justice Bosomtwi-Ayensu, Upper West Regional Commander; DCOI Felix Agyeman Bosompem, Upper East Regional Commander; and DCOI Francis Banning, the Sending-In-Commander, paid their final salute to the fallen officer.
The rites were accompanied by gun volleys and solemn music performed by the Ghana National Fire Service regimental band.
Tears flowed as the family, fiancée, colleagues, and Senior High School mates shared emotional tributes in a sobber atmosphere marked by deep pain and grief.
Mr Sulemani Derigobah, brother of the deceased, who delivered the family tribute, described the late officer as humble, responsible, and exemplary.
“As the eldest child, he played a significant role in nurturing, guiding, and supporting his younger siblings.
Cosmas was known for his calm demeanour, respect for others, and unwavering devotion to his family,” he said.
For his fiancée, Ms. Diana Yeboah, the loss has created a void that words cannot fill.
“Our child keeps asking, ‘ Where is my dada? I want my dada. But each time he asks, I do not know what to tell him,” she said tearfully.
In its tribute, the Ghana Immigration Service said the news of the officer’s death came as a shock, noting that the Service had lost a promising, hardworking young man.
“The memory of the late AICO I Cosmas Dakurah will forever remain in our hearts, and his exemplary service will always be remembered,” it noted.
Born on March 13, 2001, in Konzokala in the Jirapa Municipality to Mr Gaata Gukolee and Madam Vida Kaabouri, Cosmas was the first of five siblings.
From an early age, he embraced responsibility and became a pillar of support to his family.
He began basic school at Konzokala D/A Primary School before progressing to Power House International School in Jirapa for his Junior High School education.
He later attended St. Michael’s Boys Senior High School in Nandom, where he distinguished himself academically and in character.
Driven by a desire to serve his nation, he joined the Ghana Immigration Service as part of Recruit Intake 25 on June 15, 2020.
After successfully completing three months of paramilitary training at the Immigration Service Academy and Training School (ISATS) in Assin Fosu, he was upgraded to the rank of AICO II on September 23, 2020.
He began his career as an instructor at ISATS, where he was noted for discipline, professionalism, and dedication, and later promoted to AICO I on September 23, 2024, he was promoted.
Following his commitment to duty, he was selected for specialised training, including a three-week Counter-Terrorism Enactment, Rapid Response, and Border Patrol course at the Ghana Police Service Counter-Terrorism Enactment and Concentration Camp (CTECC) in Huhunya, Eastern Region.
He also served as part of Operation Calm Life at the Pulimakom Sector Command in the Upper East Region.
Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Comptroller General of GIS, OIC National Welfare of GIS, the Upper West Regional Commander of GIS, and the family.
