The Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) probe into the viral kidnapping allegation by American TikToker Arianna Naomi Mackey remains stalled, primarily due to her ongoing refusal to cooperate. No major breakthroughs have been reported since the CID’s December 9 statement, but diplomatic efforts are intensifying to compel her assistance.

Key Details of the Incident

1. Claimant’s Identity: Arianna Naomi Mackey (known as Ari Mackey on TikTok, with ~34,000 followers), a U.S. citizen.
2. Alleged Incident: Mackey claimed that on the night of December 6, 2025, she and her friends were stopped at a fake police checkpoint in Accra while in an Uber. Five masked men, allegedly posing as Ghana Police officers (in uniforms, driving a patrol vehicle with covered plates and no name tags), kidnapped her, robbed her of ~$400, and released her later.
3. Initial Video: Posted on TikTok on December 7, 2025, it quickly went viral, raising alarms about tourist safety amid “Detty December” events. Similar unverified claims from other Black American visitors surfaced, prompting multi-agency scrutiny.

Status of the Investigation

• Police Response: The CID initiated the probe on December 7, contacting Mackey via WhatsApp for specifics like alleged officers’ names, vehicle details, and her Ghanaian friend’s contact.
• Stall in Probe: Timeline inconsistencies emerged early—Mackey and her two companions checked out of their Accra hotel on December 5, 2025, and airport records confirm she departed Ghana that same day, before the claimed incident date.
• She has:
  • Deleted the video from TikTok.
  • Failed to provide any evidentiary details.
  • Blocked investigators on WhatsApp and social media.
  • Refused to share her friend’s contact, citing the friend’s unwillingness to participate.
    • Next Steps: The CID is now leveraging U.S. diplomatic channels for cooperation and has subpoenaed the unnamed Ghanaian friend for questioning. No evidence of actual police involvement has surfaced, and the probe is exploring potential fabrication or misinformation.

• Chief Inspector Brigitte Babanawo, CID PRO, reiterated the service’s commitment to “uncovering the facts.”

Official Reassurances and Public Reaction

• • Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA): On December 8, CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto affirmed Ghana’s safety for the thousands of visitors during year-end festivities. The GTA noted enhanced security collaborations and urged calm, emphasizing that the matter is under “national security bodies.”

• • Widespread skepticism on socials claim “fake” or an “agenda” against Detty December tourism, citing the timeline mismatch, non-cooperation, and implausibility (e.g., masked officers without name tags).
  • Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson highlighted everyday police extortion but stressed the need for investigation without excusing exaggeration.

• • Skit-maker SDK Dele (via reposts) called it “disrespectful,” accusing Mackey of damaging Ghana’s image before fleeing.
  • Defenders of the claim point to Ghana Police’s corruption reputation (e.g., ranked highly corrupt in surveys), arguing it warrants scrutiny rather than dismissal.
  • Broader Context: This echoes other unverified videos of alleged extortion by imposters, leading to reviews of checkpoint protocols. No arrests or confirmations yet.

Latest Posts and Mentions on X (as of December 10, 2025) X chatter peaked on December 9, with over 1M impressions on police-related threads. Key recent activity (Latest mode, filtered for relevance):

@GhanaCrimes

• (December 9, 11:20 GMT): Shared CID statement on non-cooperation; 260 likes, 61 reposts. “She’s trying to destroy everything good… Wei” – sparking debates on tourism sabotage.

@withAlvin__

• (December 9, 09:47 GMT): Posted probe summary with images; 97 likes, 25 reposts. Users speculated on “paid content” motives.

@MacJordaN

• (December 9, 15:04 GMT): Viral video thread (691 likes) claiming Mackey was “paid to film content painting Ghana as unsafe.”

@_GhChronicles

• (December 9, 11:21 GMT): Update on diplomatic push; 419 likes, 79 reposts. Highlights friend’s refusal.

@Shejackiesays

• (December 9, 11:33 GMT): News snippet on hampered probe; 4 likes. Focuses on Mackey’s departure timing

@GTATOURISMGH

The story’s trajectory hinges on diplomatic outcomes—could clarify if this was exaggeration, a hoax, or something more sinister.

The chaotic scenes erupted at the Vicsem Hotel in Ogbojo, a suburb of Accra, as Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officers forcibly evicted over 20 West African nationals—deportees from the United States—leading to physical confrontations and at least one medical emergency.

The incident, captured in widely shared videos, highlights escalating tensions in Ghana’s role as a “third-country” landing point for U.S. deportations under a controversial bilateral agreement.

Deportees, many fearing return to unstable homelands, resisted relocation, with officers resorting to dragging some individuals across the floor amid pleas for mercy.

The agreement, announced in early October 2025 by Ghanaian President John Mahama, allows the U.S. to deport non-Ghanaian West Africans (primarily from Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia) to Ghana instead of their countries of origin, citing “pan-African empathy” and regional free movement protocols. No financial incentives are involved, but Ghana commits to temporary housing before onward transfers—often secretive and criticized as abandonment.

Deportees arrive shackled on U.S. military flights after U.S. immigration hearings, then face Ghanaian military camps with reported substandard conditions: limited healthcare, poor sanitation, and inadequate water.

Previous incidents have fueled outrage:

• In late September 2025, a group of six deportees (five Nigerians and one Liberian) was moved from a Ghanaian camp under false pretenses of “better accommodation,” only to be secretly bused across the border to Togo and left near Lomé without passports, funds, or notification to Togolese authorities—allegedly after bribing local police.
• A September lawsuit by U.S.-based lawyers represents 11 deportees, alleging rights violations including 16-hour flights in straitjackets, illegal detention, and family separations (e.g., leaving behind U.S.-born children and homes). Similar suits target Ghana for complicity.
• Human rights groups decry the policy as a U.S. “dumping ground” tactic, evading direct repatriation to nations like Nigeria, which has rejected such returns over persecution fears (e.g., for activists tied to groups like the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement). Ghana’s opposition demands parliamentary ratification, warning of becoming a “transit hub for undesirables.”

The eviction aimed to relocate the group from the hotel—temporary quarters after initial camp stays—for final transfers home. Witnesses described a step-by-step escalation:

1. Arrival and Resistance: GIS officers entered the hotel around midday, ordering immediate evacuation. Deportees, including long-term U.S. residents, protested, citing no family ties or safety in their origin countries.
2. Confrontation: A Sierra Leonean woman, a registered nurse who lived in the U.S. for 35 years, begged officers: “I have no relatives in Sierra Leone—please let me stay in Ghana.” Her pleas were ignored, triggering an asthma attack.
3. Use of Force: Videos show officers dragging her and others to the ground, with physical scuffles involving shoving and restraint. No arrests were reported, but the woman’s health scare prompted brief intervention; she received unspecified aid on-site.
4. Outcome: Most deportees were loaded into vehicles for dispersal, though exact destinations remain unclear. No official GIS statement has been issued, but sources indicate the action aligns with the agreement’s repatriation timeline. The hotel, a modest facility, was secured post-incident.

The Ghanaian government has officially announced a 30% reduction in the standard passport application fee, dropping it from GH¢500 to GH¢350 for a 32-page ordinary passport.

Ghana Reduces Passport
Fee by 30% to GHS 350
from November 13

This move, directed by President John Dramani Mahama, aims to make travel documents more affordable and accessible for Ghanaians amid rising living costs, while upholding security standards.

Effective Date and Implementation

• The new fee takes effect on Thursday, November 13, 2025.
• Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed the change on November 9, 2025, with an amendment to the Fees and Charges Regulations (L.I. 2023) to be presented to Parliament soon for formal approval.

The fee was hiked to GH¢500 in April 2024 under the previous administration, sparking public complaints about affordability and processing delays.

This reduction reverses part of that increase and aligns with broader government efforts to ease essential service costs.

Alongside the fee cut, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rolling out enhancements to improve efficiency:

1. Chip-embedded e-passports: Upgrading from current biometric versions for better security and global compliance.
2. 24-hour processing service: Available round-the-clock at passport offices.
3. Door-to-door delivery: Passports will be couriered directly to applicants, with verification via Ghana Card upon receipt.
4. E-tracking system: Online monitoring of application status.
5. Expanded access: All 16 regional passport offices to be fully operational by December 2025, reducing wait times to an average of 15 days.

This comes as a great news for first-time applicants, low-income earners, and those needing passports for work, education, or family travel.