BY Daniel Bampoe
The Eastern Regional Police Command has raised the alarm over growing security threats facing Mobile Money (MoMo) vendors, urging both service providers and the vendors to adopt more proactive measures to avert criminal attacks.
This renewed call comes amid a series of reported incidents targeting mobile money vendors, often due to lax personal security practices and increased cash handling in public spaces.
The warning was issued by the Deputy Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Richard Appiah, at the MTN Stakeholders Forum in Koforidua over the weekend.
The event brought together key industry stakeholders to address emerging threats and reinforce strategies to safeguard Ghana’s growing mobile money ecosystem.
ACP Appiah emphasized that while the police have intensified patrols and engagements with vendors, the situation requires shared responsibility.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations with MoMo vendors across the region. Some of their practices, such as counting money openly or operating in unsecured kiosks, inadvertently expose them to criminal elements,” he said.
He urged vendors to install metal security cages around their kiosks, avoid displaying large sums of money, and always have emergency contacts of the police and other security agencies for quick response in times of need.
The Stakeholders Forum, organized by MTN Ghana, also attracted government officials, regulatory agencies, and media representatives.
Addressing the press, MTN Ghana’s Corporate Communications Manager, Georgina Asare-Fiagbenu, reiterated the company’s dedication to transparency, public accountability, and stakeholder feedback.
“Engagements like this forum help us understand the expectations of the communities we serve and refine our operations to meet them,” she said.
Asare-Fiagbenu acknowledged that fiber optic cable cuts remain a major operational challenge, but revealed that MTN is working closely with regional authorities, including the Eastern Regional Minister, to curb such disruptions.
She also praised the media for its role in highlighting the company’s CSR efforts and building public trust.
The forum, chaired by renowned journalist Maxwell Kudekor, included representatives from the Ghana Police Service, the National Communications Authority (NCA), the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), and other influential voices in the communications and security sectors.
