The University for Development Studies (UDS) has issued a firm rebuttal of media reports linking one of its postgraduate students to a recent armed robbery near its Nyankpala Campus in Tamale, stating that the student is a victim of the incident, not a perpetrator.
In a statement from the Office of the Registrar, the university identified the student as Prosper Kaba, an MPhil student, and said his image was wrongly circulated alongside crime-related narratives following the robbery. UDS described the situation as a serious case of misidentification that has caused the student significant emotional, psychological, and reputational harm.
The incident at the centre of the controversy occurred on March 29, 2026, when Kaba reported to a police checkpoint on the Tamale to Bolgatanga road that he had been attacked by three armed men while near the UDS Nyankpala Campus. The assailants, armed with a pistol and a knife, robbed him of an iPhone 17 Pro valued at GH¢21,000 and a Haojue motorcycle valued at GH¢19,000. Using the phone’s tracking feature, he located the device moving toward the Kadia community, which led police to intercept and arrest one suspect at a checkpoint and subsequently two others at their hostels. The three suspects, Peter Abugri, Asuma Shaini, and Yakubu Wakasu, have been charged and remanded into custody, with their case adjourned to April 19, 2026.
Despite this sequence of events clearly establishing Kaba as the complainant, his image subsequently appeared across media platforms in a context suggesting criminal involvement. UDS said the confusion appeared to stem from photographs released during the police process, but stressed that his presence at the scene was entirely as a victim.
UDS has issued an ultimatum to all media houses and social media influencers who carried the false reports, demanding an immediate retraction and an unqualified apology to Kaba. The university also called on journalists to adhere to standards of accuracy, fairness, and responsibility, particularly in matters with serious consequences for individuals’ reputations.
The case has drawn attention to the speed with which unverified images circulate on social media and the lasting damage such misidentification can cause to individuals who have no involvement in the crimes being reported.
