22-year-old man arrested after posing as bandit in viral video — Police

The Ghana Police Service has arrested a 22-year-old man, Evans Pupulampu, for allegedly causing fear and panic through a viral social media video.

The suspect is said to have posted a video in which he posed as a member of a bandit group purportedly planning to begin operations in Ghana.

The video, which circulated widely on TikTok, contained a caption that raised public concern, with claims suggesting threats targeting places of worship.

According to the Police, the content triggered alarm among members of the public, prompting swift intelligence-led operations to trace the individual behind the post.

In a social media post on Wednesday, April 8, the Police indicated that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday, at Ashaiman Community 22 after sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering.

The statement added that the suspect admitted during interrogation that he appeared in the video but claimed his actions were inspired by a trending social media pose and not intended to cause harm.

“The suspect stated that he had copied a similar trending pose on social media for fun and did not intend to cause harm or panic,” the Police noted.

A Samsung Galaxy A15 mobile phone believed to have been used in creating and sharing the video has been retrieved as evidence.

The suspect, according to the police, is currently in custody assisting investigations and is expected to be put before court in due course.