DCOP Lydia Donkor: Lawyer and CAF Safety expert appointed as CID

The Ghana Football Association’s head of safety and security, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, has been appointed as the new Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Her appointment was confirmed by a statement from the Public Affairs Directorate of the Police Service, issued on March 19, 2025.

The statement further indicated that DCOP Lydia Donkor’s appointment is part of a leadership restructuring by Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno.

She is a security officer with extensive experience in law, human rights advocacy and elite football management.

In law, DCOP Donkor has practiced for twenty-five years since completing her Barrister-at-Law qualification at the Ghana School of Law, and later, a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom in International and Human Rights Law.

Although she has handled prominent cases, perhaps her most profound work has been for the less privileged in society who cannot afford to pay for legal representation. She served as a Pro Bono advocate for the Legal Aid Board in Takoradi, defending gender and children’s rights, and providing legal representation in deprived communities in the Western Region. She is currently the most experienced lawyer in the Ghana Police Service, with 25 years at the bar.

She has previously served as the Head of Legal and Prosecutions in multiple regions, as well as Divisional Commander of Tesano, and District Commander of Tesano-Accra. She has also joined international peacekeeping missions, serving as a United Nations Police Officer (UNPOL) in Liberia.

Her influence also extends to the squared space of football in Ghana and in Africa. As the chairperson of the GFA’s Safety and Security Committee, she led the GFA’s probe into the unfortunate stabbing of Francis ”Nana Pooley” Frimpong. Her recommendations formed the foundation of the Enhanced Matchday Security Protocols introduced by the Ghana Football Association last month.

At the Confederation of African Football (CAF), she also serves as the Safety and Security Officer, leading the governing body’s safety and security infrastructure infrastructure at major tournaments.

Beyond that, she is the Chief Executive Officer of Police Ladies FC, in the Ghana Women’s Premier League.

dcop lYDIA Donkor takes over from DCOP Faustina Agyeiwaa Kodua Andoh-Kwofie who has been transferred to Winneba as the commandant of the police training school.