When Christian Tetteh Yohuno was appointed Inspector General of Police on March 13, 2025, many Ghanaians asked a simple question: can the police truly make us feel safe again?
Eighteen months on, the answer coming from the streets of Accra, the highways of Buipe, the mining enclaves of Wassa Akropong and the banking corridors of Tema is increasingly yes.
At his latest press briefing on September 7, 2026, at the National Police Headquarters, the IGP gave an update on seven major operational successes following weeks of painstaking coordinated intelligence operations across the country.
What he outlined was not the usual parade of suspects, but evidence of a fundamental shift in policing philosophy — from reactive response to proactive, intelligence-led dismantling of criminal networks.
This is a shift worth commending and sustaining.
For years, armed robbery has been Ghana's most feared crime.
It is not just the loss of property; it is the trauma of AK-47s fired indiscriminately to instil fear.
Under IGP Yohuno, a man whose career has been defined by cracking robbery syndicates, the Police Service has taken the fight to the robbers.
In the first quarter of this year alone, the IGP disclosed that special intelligence teams were deployed to monitor criminal activities and conduct targeted operations in the Western, Northern, Greater Accra and other regions.
Police reports indicate at least 78 suspects linked to armed highway robbery networks have been arrested over the past year, with 27 killed during exchanges with officers.
It is a clear message captured in his own words: "My team and I remain committed to taking the fight to the criminals and making life uncomfortable for criminal syndicates".
What distinguishes IGP Yohuno's approach from others is not just bravery, but structure. He has institutionalised Special Operations Teams (SOT) and Special Intelligence Teams, moving away from the old model of dispatching general duty officers to crime scenes after the fact.
This was evident in Ashanti, where Otumfuo Osei Tutu II himself commended the IGP, the Ashanti Regional Command and the IGP's Special Operations Team for strengthening security.
The Asantehene noted that sustained intelligence-led operations by the team had contributed significantly to improving security in the region, particularly through the reduction of drug trafficking, robbery and human trafficking.
Led by officers such as Superintendent Augustine Dawson-Ahmoah, these teams are deployed specifically to areas where crime is rife — the gold mining communities of the Western Region, the highways of Bono East and Savannah, the densely populated suburbs of Accra.
Their mandate is precise: monitor, infiltrate and strike. The deployment of anti-robbery teams patrolling locations previously known for crimes has drastically reduced the incidents.
In Ashanti, one of the largest operations saw the arrest of 320 suspects in coordinated raids targeting fraud and trafficking networks linked to Q-Net recruitment schemes. In Greater Accra, cybercrime sweeps led to 48 suspected cyber criminals arrested in December 2025 alone.
Armed robbery does not thrive alone. It is funded and fuelled by drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal arms. Here too, the IGP's teams have shown results.
In August 2026, personnel from the Tema Region intercepted 866 parcels of suspected cocaine at the Tema Harbour — an operation for which 25 personnel from Bono East, Tema and Western were promoted for exceptional performance.
Other teams intercepted a large consignment of suspected cocaine and arrested suspects who had stolen GH¢300,000 along the Portor-Kawempe stretch of the Kintampo-Buipe Highway.
This link between drugs, guns and robbery is critical.
By cutting the supply chain, the police are preventing future robberies.
Perhaps most refreshing is IGP Yohuno's insistence on rewarding professionalism.
On August 11, he promoted 25 police personnel for outstanding performance and significant contribution to the fight against crime.
This builds morale and restores public confidence that hard work, not connections, drives advancement.
His background speaks for itself. From Accra Central Divisional Commander, to creating the Police Intelligence Directorate, to Director-General of Operations, supervising the 2016 elections and ECOWAS summits; and Grand Medal recipient in 2011 for fighting armed robbery, IGP Yohuno is described as a "Turnaround Tiger" who believes in action rather than words.
The nation still has challenges — community-police trust, logistics, and the need for more forensic capacity.
But for the first time in years, residents in Tamale protested against the withdrawal of a police squad, a sign the police are doing something right.
If the current tempo of intelligence-led operations, special teams deployment, and zero tolerance for armed robbers, drug pushers and violent gangs is maintained, Ghanaians may finally feel that when they call the police, the police will come — and will come prepared.
That is the Yohuno effect. It must not be allowed to fade.
