President of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, met security chiefs at the Jubilee House over recent narcotics trafficking cases involving Ghana’s ports. The meeting was as a result of the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in France from a container that arrived from Ghana, with the President subsequently directing an inter-agency task force to produce a detailed roadmap within two weeks.
The Former Defence Minister and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Honourable Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul, however, believes the scale of the matter requires investigations that go beyond the two-week deadline. The Bimbilla MP argued that the period could produce an initial report but would not be sufficient to establish the full chain behind the shipment.
Honourable Nitiwul explained that investigators must determine on how the cocaine left Ghana and how such a quantity entered the country in the first place. He stressed that Ghana does not produce cocaine and therefore the inquiry must establish whether the substance entered by sea, air, land or through smaller vessels.
According to the Former Defence Minister, the investigation should identify everyone who handled the container before it left Ghana. He therefore called for wider arrests and questioning of persons whose roles may help investigators establish how the consignment moved through the system.
The Ranking Member further pointed to the scale of the seized cocaine, comparing its weight to approximately 80 bags of cement. He argued that the quantity was too substantial to pass through a port without multiple points of contact and scrutiny.
“Given the scale of the problem, they would be able to give him an initial investigation report, but obviously they will not be able to conclude their entire report.”
Honourable Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul
Meanwhile, the government has confirmed that 10 people, including four officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, are being held as investigations continue. Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has also disclosed that six other individuals are in custody to assist investigators, with their identities being withheld to avoid compromising the process.
Honourable Nitiwul nevertheless believes the investigation must extend beyond those already in custody. He argued that every individual who handled the container should be identified, questioned and, where evidence establishes wrongdoing, prosecuted through due process.
The Former Defence Minister is of the view that the objective should extend beyond producing a report within a deadline. He believes the investigation must uncover the complete network responsible for bringing, loading, clearing and moving the cocaine before it left Ghana.
Drug Probe Must Trace How Cocaine Entered Ghana’s Ports System
The latest cocaine investigation must establish how the substance entered Ghana before authorities focus solely on the circumstances surrounding its departure, former Defence Minister Honourable Dominic Nitiwul has argued. The Bimbilla MP believes tracing the entry point is essential to understanding the network behind the shipment.
Honourable Nitiwul has therefore challenged the government to examine the responsibilities of agencies overseeing Ghana’s ports, particularly the Tema Port and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. He argued that the investigation should establish who handled the container, who supervised its movement and how it passed through the required screening processes.
The former Defence Minister also questioned whether the quantity of cocaine could have escaped detection without weaknesses at several stages of the port operation. Referring to images of the seized consignment, he argued that the cocaine occupied substantial space inside the 40-foot container and should have attracted scrutiny.
For Honourable Nitiwul, the investigation must consequently examine the scanning process and the officers responsible for checking the container. He also urged authorities to determine who loaded the illicit substance and whether all persons involved in handling the consignment have been brought into the investigation.
Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has also indicated that authorities are not limiting the inquiry to the 10 people currently being held. He explained that six additional individuals are also in custody and that anyone linked to the case through evidence could be brought into the investigation and subjected to due process.
Against this backdrop, Honourable Nitiwul has urged investigators to examine the entire chain surrounding the container. He believes the inquiry should determine where the drugs originated, how they entered Ghana, who transported them and which individuals handled the shipment before its departure.
The Former Defence Minister also questioned the proposed extension of the tenure of the officer overseeing Tema Port, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the cocaine shipment warrant closer scrutiny. He stressed that declining such an extension would not amount to punishment but would allow the investigation to proceed without rewarding an official whose tenure coincided with the incident.
Importantly, Honourable Nitiwul clarified that he was not declaring any official guilty before investigations are completed. His position is that the authorities must pursue every relevant lead and allow evidence to determine responsibility.
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