20-year-old Woman Arrested for ‘Falsely’ Labelling an Uber Driver a ‘Murderer and Thief’
A 20-year-old has been arrested for the publication of false news about an Uber driver on social media.
Promise Yayra Asamani was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team after she made a post on Snapchat labelling Selasie Kwaku Anthonio, a 43-year-old Uber driver, ‘a murderer and a thief’, adding that he uses signal jammers to disconnect passengers’ network connectivity and carries offensive weapons.
The post, which featured his photograph and vehicle registration number on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, went viral.
Her arrest followed a complaint by the victim, who said the post cost him his job.
“Following the viral spread, the complainant received numerous distressing calls from family and customers. Subsequently, Uber blocked his account, depriving him of his livelihood. He also expressed significant fear for his life due to the risk of public hostility.”
Investigations by the Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team led to the arrest of Stephanie Asamani, a sister of Promise Yayra Asamani, on Friday, March 13, 2026, at her residence in Cambodia, Spintex, Accra.
Misinterpreted Incident
During interrogation, Stephanie recounted how on March 9, 2026, at about 14:00 hrs, she booked a ride from Spintex to Oyibi with the complainant as the driver.
“Shortly after starting, the driver requested her to change the drop-off location to a nearby destination so he could go ‘off-trip.’ During the trip, the driver made a call in Ewe, stating, ‘I am bringing the goods to the location, so wait.'”
According to Stephanie, she observed a rag and a hammer in the boot area of the car.
She further stated that the driver suddenly stopped at the Toyota Motors Roundabout, and that resulted in a verbal altercation, forcing her to alight.
“When she got home, Stephanie narrated the incident to her sisters and sent a screenshot of the driver’s profile to her younger sister, Promise Yayra Asamani. On 11th March, 2026, Stephanie discovered the story had been posted on Snapchat. When confronted, Promise claimed she published the details ‘to create awareness.’”
Further investigations confirmed that Promise Yayra Asamani authored the post, which explicitly labelled the driver a “killer”.
Ignoring Invitation
After failing to honour an official police invitation on March 12, Suspect Promise Yayra Asamani was arrested on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
During interrogation, she admitted the post was based solely on her sister’s narrative and that she had no evidence to substantiate the allegations against the driver.
She was granted police enquiry bail on March 16 as the investigation continues.
“The police take this opportunity to caution the general public against publishing false news since that is against the laws of the country,” it emphasised.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
