A high-profile arrest unfolded over the weekend at Aurora Apartments in Kanda, a residential area situated near Ghana’s presidential seat, the Jubilee House.
The Nigerian businessman Ben Peters was apprehended in a joint operation led by National Security, in collaboration with the Police and Military, following a tense standoff that drew public and state attention.
According to security sources, the incident began when Peters and a group of unidentified armed men allegedly blocked the entrance to the apartment complex using their vehicles, preventing other residents from entering or exiting the premises.
The blockade prompted residents to alert authorities, triggering the multi-agency operation.
Leading the operation were the Director of the National Security Operations, Richard Jakpa and the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande.
When officers arrived at the scene, Peters reportedly went into hiding within the apartment complex and refused to comply with arrest orders.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the situation escalated until Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President John Dramani Mahama, appeared at the scene.
His intervention reportedly facilitated a de-escalation, leading to Peters’ eventual surrender.
Following his arrest, several of Peters’ close associates were also detained.
The National Security seized all vehicles that had been used to obstruct the apartment entrance.
Mustapha Gbande told journalists that “He has blocked the place such that no individual can go in or come out,” he stated.
“Nobody can come into our country and take our people into this ransom. It is illegal and unlawful. This can not be done in Nigeria and certainly not in this country.”
While the motive behind the blockade remains unclear, security operatives have hinted at an ongoing investigation to uncover potential breaches of national security and any criminal undertones linked to Peters’ activities in Ghana.
Sources have yet to confirm whether firearms were recovered at the scene or if charges have been formally filed.
Ben Peters is known to have business interests across West Africa, though his presence in Ghana has not been widely publicized.
This arrest marks his first known run-in with Ghanaian law enforcement.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
