The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has apprehended a 32-year-old Nigerian national, Yusif Dahiru, for allegedly operating an unauthorised waste collection scheme and extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public at an illegal dumping site near UTC in Accra.
Confirming the development in a Facebook post on Wednesday, April 15, the AMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, disclosed that the suspect was arrested at about 3:00 a.m. on Monday, April 13, following intelligence received by city authorities.
According to Mr Ankrah, Dahiru had set himself up at the location and was posing as an official sanitation worker, collecting refuse from residents and passersby as though he had been duly mandated by the Assembly to manage waste disposal at the site. However, preliminary checks revealed that he had no such authorisation.
The AMA further indicated that the suspect was charging individuals for the service, falsely claiming he was working under the supervision of a recognised authority.
This, the Assembly noted, amounts to both illegal waste handling and exploitation of the public.
During interrogation, Dahiru reportedly denied being an accredited waste collector but admitted to assisting people by dragging refuse to the dumpsite in exchange for payment.
City authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine whether he was acting alone or as part of a wider illegal operation, while also warning the public to only engage accredited waste service providers sanctioned by the Assembly.
