Police arrest Ayitey Powers over alleged death threat against NSA boss

The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested former professional boxer, Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as Ayitey Powers, over an alleged threat of death against the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.

According to the Police, the 46-year-old former boxer was arrested on Monday, August 24, 2026, after a video circulating on social media allegedly captured him issuing the threat against the NSA boss. He is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. 

The arrest comes days after the Ghana Boxing Interim Management Committee (GBIMC) called on the Police to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute Ayitey Powers over what it described as alleged death threats against Mr Ampofo Ankrah.

In a statement issued on August 20, the GBIMC condemned the alleged remarks as unacceptable and said threats against a public official could not be tolerated. The committee also announced disciplinary proceedings against the former boxer. 

The latest development is the culmination of a prolonged dispute between Ayitey Powers and authorities over a boxing promotion he says caused him significant financial losses.

The former boxer-turned-promoter has repeatedly complained about the cancellation of his “Judgement Day” boxing event, which was scheduled for September 2025 at the Bukom Boxing Arena. The event was cancelled at short notice following the temporary suspension of professional boxing in Ghana after the death of boxer Ernest “Bahubali” Akushey. 

Ayitey Powers has maintained that he invested heavily in the promotion and has since been seeking compensation for the losses he says he incurred. In January 2026, he publicly appealed to government authorities to help him recover his investment, claiming that repeated attempts to secure a resolution had not yielded results. 

The former boxer later attributed his controversial remarks against the NSA Director-General to anger and frustration over the unresolved matter. In an interview reported on August 20, he apologised for the comments and said he did not intend to carry out the alleged threat. He maintained that the cancellation of his event and the financial difficulties that followed had left him deeply frustrated. 

The dispute has also exposed broader tensions within Ghana’s boxing administration, with Ayitey Powers previously criticising members of the interim management committee over how the sport is being administered. The GBIMC, for its part, has accused him of repeated verbal attacks against some of its members and insisted that discipline must be restored within the sport. 

For now, the Police say their focus is on establishing the circumstances surrounding the alleged threat and determining the appropriate action under the law.

The Accra Regional Police Command has urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information while investigations continue. No charge has been announced against Ayitey Powers, and the allegations remain subject to investigation. 

Source: Purefmonlinegh.com || 2026