Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a social activist and private legal practitioner, has said he is prepared to fight the extradition of Popular Ghanaian social media entrepreneur Frederick Kumi, also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng and commonly referred to as Abu Trica.
Vormawor argued that, if the US authorities are not willing to extradite Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, back to Ghana, he is ready to fight Abu Trica’s extradition to the US.
In a post on X, Oliver Barker-Vormawor stated, “This one paa dier I am ready to defend Abu Trica to fight the extradition.
If they won’t bring Ken Ofori Atta, then Good lawyers must intervene for Abu. Draw – Draw!”.
In a separate post, the private legal practitioner asserted that Ghana’s law enforcement agencies are too eager to arrest and extradite Ghanaians to America; however, Americans never show Ghana the same courtesy.
He wrote, “Our law enforcement agencies are too eager to arrest and extradite Ghanaians to America.
The Americans never show us the same courtesy. This has to stop! Our crimes matter too”.
His remarks follow the arrest of Abu Trica, a 31-year-old Ghanaian from Swedru, who has been arrested for his alleged involvement in an $8 million romance scam which targeted elderly victims in the United States.
He was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025, following an investigation conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ghanaian agencies that also assisted in the arrest, including the Attorney General’s Office, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Ghana Police Service, Ghana Cyber Security Authority, Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and the National Intelligence Bureau, among others.
The US Department of Justice wrote, “According to the indictment, perpetrators of this romance scam used Artificial Intelligence software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims. They gained victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretenses.
Victims were often elderly and engaged in romantic but physically distant relationships with perpetrators. The perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms. They then requested money or valuables under false pretenses, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities. Relying on these misrepresentations, victims were persuaded to send funds or valuables, which were then directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties.
The indictment also alleges that after the victims transferred funds, Kumi worked with a network of co-conspirators to distribute the money from Ohio and across the United States to associates in the Republic of Ghana and other locations.
Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification, and faces up to 20 years in prison”.
It further added, “If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including a defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt”.
See the post below:
This one paa dier I am ready to defend Abu Trica to fight the extradition.
— Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor (@barkervogues) December 11, 2025
If they won’t bring Ken Ofori Atta; then Good lawyers must intervene for Abu. Draw – Draw!
Our law enforcement agencies are too eager to arrest and extradite Ghanaians to America.
— Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor (@barkervogues) December 12, 2025
The Americans never show us the same courtesy. This has to stop! Our crimes matter too.