Ghana’s Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak (MP), has approved a request from the United States for the extradition of four Ghanaian nationals accused of involvement in a large-scale romance scam scheme.
Acting on a formal diplomatic request submitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Minister Mohammed-Mubarak has instructed the District Court in Accra to issue arrest warrants for the individuals—Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah, and Patrick Kwame Asare—who are believed to be residing in Ghana.
The extradition request is being processed under the Extradition Act, 1960 (Act 22), and the Minister, exercising his powers under Section 7(1) of the Act, has authorized the court to take the necessary legal steps to detain the suspects pending further proceedings.
While the specific charges were not detailed in the official request, the individuals are alleged to be part of a romance scam operation responsible for defrauding victims of over $100 million.
The order from the Interior Minister affirms that sufficient legal grounds exist to issue the arrest warrants and begin extradition procedures in accordance with Ghanaian law.
Romance cases in Ghana
The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has identified 107 active romance scam cases since 2021. In 2024 alone, approximately GH¢2 million was recovered from victims
EOCO has launched a fraud-reporting campaign, in collaboration with the UK’s National Crime Agency, urging whistleblowing and enhanced cross-border intelligence sharing
Victims kidnapped abroad
In May 2025, two Ghanaian women (Evelyn Serwaa Konadu and Anastasia Baidoo) were lured to Nigeria via a fabricated romance, kidnapped, and held for ransom (GH¢500,000 each). They were rescued in a joint Ghana–Nigeria operation; eight suspects (Ghanaian and Nigerian) were arrested .
The scammers impersonated “white men” on Facebook, used marriage proposals, assault videos, and ransom demands to manipulate both victims and their families
