MoMo vendor attacks in Ghana: Call for collective vigilance, action
Ghana’s mobile money industry, hailed as a breakthrough in financial inclusion, now finds itself under siege.
Violent attacks on Mobile Money (MoMo) vendors have surged across the country, triggering public fear and demanding a coordinated national response.
Misornu Safety Centre, a non-profit organisation committed to creating safer communities through its media monitoring and research, confirms that from January to June 2025, more than two dozen MoMo vendors had been attacked in armed robberies, shootings and fatal incidents across the country.
These attacks tend to occur during peak transaction hours, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., when vendors are most vulnerable.
Regions hardest hit include Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Eastern and Volta.
Some of the most chilling examples include one at Aflao, Volta Region, on April 28, 2025, which occurred at 6:15 p.m.
A vendor, Christopher Ahordor, was shot dead near the Diamond Cement Factory.
So far, eight suspects have been arrested between May 10 and 18. At Krofrom in the Ashanti Region, Patricia Nimako was shot in broad daylight on February 13, 2025, at 3 p.m.
Thieves escaped with GH¢10,000. Two suspects have since been arrested.
Similarly, at Kwadaso in the same region, a vendor, Gideon Owusu Sarpong, was killed during a home robbery on Mar 10, 2025. Three suspects and one fugitive have been held by the police.
At Manso-Asamang in the Ashanti Region, a vendor was shot and killed in the early hours of February 28, 2025.
In the Greater Accra Region, robbers wounded Clara Quainoo during a gunpoint robbery at Amanfrom. More than GH¢30,000 was stolen.
When are vendors most at risk?
Studying the trends, it is possible to conclude that vendors are at high risk window peak business transaction hours between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and 5 p.m.–7 p.m.: End-of-day cash-outs when there's reduced vigilance.
The attacks also occur at nighttime: targeted home invasions like the Kwadaso attack.
IGP Yohuno’s Intervention
The newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has not stood idle.
In March 2025, he directed all regional commanders to adopt innovative anti-crime strategies.
These included launching 24-hour police patrols in commercial areas, supporting vendor intelligence and strengthening local community watch teams, such as the Aflao 'Action Now' initiative.
Prevention
Preventing MoMo attacks can be tackled in three ways, namely vendors, customers and institutions and the police.
MoMo vendors must install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and panic alert systems at their shops and business centres.
They must also try as much as possible to limit cash handling, especially after 5 p.m.
Vendors must also operate within designated community safe zones and report suspicious activities immediately to the police.
For customers, they must avoid drawing large amounts in public and must be discreet and alert, especially after midday.
If there is an urgent need to withdraw money, customers must do so in well-lit, populated areas.
Since fighting this is a shared responsibility, communities must establish community watch groups in collaboration with local police and promote the use of tip lines for anonymous intelligence.
The Ghana Police Service and other security agencies can partner with Misornu Safety Centre for vendor safety education workshops and training.
The police must maintain 24-hour visibility in hotspot areas, map out MoMo vendor locations for better patrol planning and collaborate with telecom companies to provide panic buttons and GPS-linked alerts.
In conclusion, MoMo vendors play a crucial role in Ghana’s financial ecosystem.
Attacks on them are not just crimes against individuals.
They threaten economic stability and public confidence.
While police reforms under IGP Yohuno offer promise, it is sustained public vigilance that will ultimately tip the balance.
The writer is a retired police officer/Founder, Misornu Safety Centre.
Email: info@misornu.org
