Police hunt for Ayittey Powers over alleged death threat against Yaw Ampofo Ankrah

The Ghana Police Service are reportedly searching for former professional boxer and promoter Michael Ayittey Okine, popularly known as Ayittey Powers, following an alleged threat to the life of National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.

The development follows the circulation of a live video on social media in which Powers is alleged to have threatened to “gun down” the NSA chief, apparently in connection with a long-running dispute over the cancellation and subsequent approval of his boxing promotions.

While the Ghana Police Service had not, at the time of publication, issued a formal public statement on the matter, security sources indicate that authorities are actively pursuing the former boxer over the alleged threat.

The development marks a dramatic escalation of a dispute that has simmered within Ghana's boxing fraternity for almost a year.

The cancelled promotion that sparked Powers' fury

The roots of the dispute go back to September 2025, when the NSA, through the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, imposed an immediate suspension on all professional boxing activities in Ghana.

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The decision followed the death of super-middleweight boxer Ernest “Bahubali” Akushey, who died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on September 23, 2025 — 11 days after suffering an eighth-round technical knockout defeat to Jacob Dickson at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

Akushey's death, coming only months after another fatality in the Ghanaian boxing ring, prompted authorities to suspend professional boxing activities while concerns surrounding the safety and regulation of the sport were examined.

The suspension, announced on September 26, dealt a severe blow to promoters, including Ayittey Powers Promotions, whose “Judgement Day” bill was scheduled for September 27 at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

The card was expected to feature former IBO World Lightweight champion Emmanuel Tagoe, alongside a much-anticipated bout between Africanus Neequaye and Daniel Quaye.

Powers has maintained that he had invested heavily in the promotion and suffered significant financial losses as a result of its cancellation.

A Dispute over Assurances

Powers has subsequently alleged that he received conflicting signals from authorities in the days leading up to the suspension.

According to him, he had contacted the Minister of Sports and Recreation as well as Ampofo Ankrah and was given assurances that no immediate ban was imminent.

He claims that the official suspension letter reached him only during the weigh-in, a day before his scheduled promotion.

Powers subsequently accused Ampofo Ankrah of failing to honour what he regarded as a personal assurance regarding the resumption of his promotions.

In an earlier interview, he said, “The NSA boss, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah promised me that my programme would be the first when the ban is lifted but the story turned out to be different, seems they don't respect me.”

The NSA, however, has maintained that the suspension and subsequent resumption of boxing were matters governed by the appropriate regulatory processes.

Ban lifted, but Powers says he was left out

The suspension was eventually lifted, paving the way for the establishment of the Ghana Boxing Interim Management Committee (GBIMC) on September 29, 2025.

The committee, chaired by former Ghana Boxing Authority president Samir Captan, was tasked with overseeing the restructuring and return of professional boxing.

A two-phase roadmap was subsequently established, with reforms scheduled between February and April 2026 and elections expected between May and June.

But for Powers, the return of boxing did not bring the resolution he had expected.

He has complained that while other promoters, including Dzata Promotions in Tarkwa, Legacy Rise Sports Promotions at Legon and Bishop Promotions at the Bukom Boxing Arena were able to secure approval for promotions, his own events remained on hold.

Powers accused the interim management structure of abandoning him despite his long career as a boxer and subsequent transition into promotion.

“As a boxer doing promotion, the IMC should have stood for me, but they have shunned me and supported others,” he said.

His frustration has since become increasingly public and confrontational.

PAH/JKB

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