Former Ghanaian professional boxer Ayitey Powers has been arrested by the police over an alleged death threat directed at Yaw Ampofo-Ankrah, Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA).
The Accra Regional Police Command confirmed the arrest on Monday, August 24, 2026, following the circulation of a video on social media in which the former boxer is alleged to have made threatening remarks against the NSA boss.
Ayitey Powers, whose real name is Michael Ayitey Okai, is currently in police custody assisting investigators as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the controversial video.
Police say investigations are ongoing and that the appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the law once the facts surrounding the alleged threat have been established. The command has also cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified information while the investigation remains active.
The arrest comes days after the Ghana Boxing Interim Management Committee (GBIMC) publicly called on the Ghana Police Service to investigate, arrest and prosecute Ayitey Powers over the alleged remarks.
In its August 20 statement, the committee condemned the alleged threat and argued that threats against public officials, including those made through social media, should not be tolerated. GBIMC also announced that it had initiated its own disciplinary proceedings against the former boxer.
The controversy comes amid tensions involving some stakeholders within Ghanaian boxing and the National Sports Authority.
Ayitey Powers, who has also operated as a boxing promoter, has previously expressed frustration over issues surrounding the administration of the sport. Reports indicate that he had complained about losses connected to a boxing event that was cancelled following the temporary suspension of professional boxing activities.
His latest arrest, however, takes the dispute beyond the boxing arena and into a police investigation.
For now, the alleged death threat remains an accusation under investigation, and Ayitey Powers has not been convicted of any offence in connection with the matter.
With police now officially involved, attention will turn to whether the former boxer will face formal charges as investigators determine what happened and what legal action, if any, should follow.
