Ghanaian police are reportedly searching for former professional boxer turned promoter Michael Ayittey Okine, popularly known as Ayittey Powers, following an alleged threat on 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 suspension and subsequent approval of his boxing promotion.
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 suspension of Ghana boxing led to the cancellation of Powers promotion that sparked the retired boxers’ 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.
The decision followed the death of a popular super-middleweight boxer Ernest “Bahubali” Akushey. The fighter, 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 a number of 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.
A feud that has been building
The confrontation between Powers and Ampofo Ankrah is not new.
In February 2026, the NSA Director-General publicly urged Powers to moderate his language and warned him against using offensive or provocative rhetoric.
“Ayittey Powers is my good friend; I respect him as a former boxer,” Ampofo Ankrah said at a press conference at the Accra Sports Stadium.
“However, on a serious note, he should remember that he represents a brand, so he should not be trying to smear, insult and provoke anyone with offensive language.”
Ampofo Ankrah also disputed Powers’ interpretation of the suspension, arguing that the dispute was partly the result of a breakdown in communication.
“How he interpreted the ban and suspension was a miscommunication,” he said.
“Now that boxing is back, he needs to go through the proper process to lobby and get support, rather than attacking and insulting people.”
The two men had, at one point, appeared to put their differences behind them.
In September 2025, Powers and Ampofo Ankrah publicly reconciled in a widely circulated peace gesture in which they shook hands.
That apparent truce, however, has now collapsed spectacularly following the alleged death threat.
Who was responsible for the boxing decisions?
Although Powers has directed much of his anger at Ampofo Ankrah, the decisions surrounding the suspension and subsequent return of professional boxing involved more than the NSA Director-General alone.
The GBIMC was established to oversee the restructuring of professional boxing and included prominent figures such as former GBA president Samir Captan, boxing legend Professor Azumah Nelson and coach Ofori Asare.
Powers has also criticised the interim management committee, accusing its members of failing to support him and questioning their commitment to the development of Ghanaian boxing.
“I think the IMC doesn’t have any plans or ideas, so it would be better if they hand over to an elected body for the professional boxing fraternity to have peace,” he said.
The dispute therefore extends beyond a personal confrontation between Powers and the NSA Director-General, touching on broader questions about governance, regulation, commercial opportunities and accountability within Ghana’s professional boxing industry.
A colourful career overshadowed by controversy
Powers, one of Ghana’s most recognisable and colourful boxing personalities, built a reputation both inside and outside the ring.
Known for his distinctive yellow-dyed dreadlocks and outspoken personality, he compiled a professional record of 48 fights, 22 wins, 25 losses and one draw, before moving into boxing promotion.
His post-boxing career has, however, also been marked by controversy and legal difficulties, including a previous court case involving allegations of visa fraud, in which he was accused of defrauding a building contractor of GH¢45,000.
Those previous controversies have added to the public scrutiny surrounding the latest incident.
What happens next?
The alleged threat represents a serious escalation of the dispute and has shifted the matter from a disagreement within the boxing fraternity into one with potential criminal and security implications.
The Police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the video, the identity and location of the person responsible for the alleged threats, and whether the conduct amounts to a criminal offence.
Ampofo Ankrah has maintained that he is safe, while the NSA has formally referred the matter to the Ghana Police Service and indicated that it will cooperate fully with the investigation.
For Ghanaian boxing, the timing could hardly be more difficult.
A sport attempting to rebuild its regulatory structures, restore confidence and revive its commercial fortunes is now confronting another highly publicised dispute — this time involving allegations of a direct threat against one of the country’s senior sports administrators.
What began with the cancellation of a boxing promotion in September 2025 has evolved into a bitter and increasingly personal confrontation.
The latest development raises an uncomfortable question for Ghanaian boxing: can the sport settle its internal battles through dialogue, due process and institutional reform, before personal grievances threaten to overshadow the very future everyone claims to be fighting for?
