Albert Kan Dapaah – Minister of National Security
The security agencies are in a look out for some suspicious persons roaming in the Bunkpurugu/Nyankpaduri Districts in the North East region and Garu District of the Upper East Region suspected to be terrorists.
This follows an intelligence gathered by the National Security over movement of a group of persons along the mountainous areas of the aforementioned districts.
Per a statement from the National Security signed by Ambassador Retd. Major General Francis Adu-Amanfoh, National Security Coordinator to the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Defense Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (Burma Camp) for necessary action, the group of persons were spotted on a motorbike dressed in apparel that hid their faces and headed to the mountainous area in the Garu District.
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has stated that the government has put security agencies on high alert over threats of terrorism in Ghana.
According to him, several efforts are underway to ensure that the country is protected from any form of attack.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah explained at a press briefing recently that the threats and attacks on Ghana’s neighbours require that the country puts in place adequate measures to avert such a situation.
“Government is announcing that it has put its security and intelligence agencies on increased awareness following the increasing number of terror threats and attacks and some worrisome intelligence report closer to our borders… As recently as the 10th of May in 2022 in Togo, about 10 military persons died as a result of one such terrorist attack,” he said.
The minister said already there are indications that a number of Ghanaians have been recruited to join extremist groups, making it necessary for Ghana to take immediate preventive actions.
“Increasingly, intelligence reports suggest that some Ghanaians have been involved in terrorist attacks in the Sahelian region. What this signal is that there has been the possible recruitment of Ghanaians by some of these terrorist groups in the West African sub-region.”
He announced that the Ministry of National Security will be leading a campaign to increase public awareness and intelligence among communities.
He urged the public to look out for “non-residents seen mobilizing youth or circulating extremist materials in-person or virtually with the objective of whipping up sentiments to attack people or public installations… Abandoned or suspicious packages in public places,” adding that security authorities should be immediately notified of any suspicious characters or packages they find.
Already, the government has on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, launched a campaign which seek to draw attention to terrorism and announced a new emergency line, 999, for the public to report any threat of terrorism.
Mass media and community education programmes are also ongoing dubbed ”If you see something, Say something.’
By Vincent Kubi