Some of the suspects being prepared to be flown to Accra
A security response to yesterday’s dawn blockade of critical entry points to the Volta Region and a virtual seizure of this part of the country by a so-called secessionist group of the imaginary Western Togoland has cost a life.
The ‘rebels’ claimed to have kidnapped three police officers after storming the Aveyime and Mepe police stations, a claim which has not been verified.
A joint military and police operation which later rid the road of the secessionist blockade led to the arrest of 29 persons. They were immediately flown via helicopter to Accra for interrogation.
Distress Report
According to a preliminary police report, “on 25th September 2020 at about 1:00 a.m., police had information that the Western Togolanders had taken over the Aveyime and Mepe police stations, took hostage of the personnel, released the inmate in the cells and taken away 10 AK 47 assault rifles.”
“On the receipt of information, the Divisional commander C/supt. Mr. Denis Fiakpui in charge proceeded with men to the scene. At about 2:15 am., information received indicated that the rebels had allegedly overpowered the police, took over the police vehicle, took the Divisional Commander’s side arm and severely assaulted and shot him alongside L/Cpl Prosper Banini, service driver and were rushed to Bator Government hospital. The military reinforcement team from Agorta Naval Base were quickly contacted who rushed to the place (sic),” the report added.
“The military had an encounter with the alleged rebels at Tademe and in the process gunned down three of the rebels, who are currently at the Sogakope Government Hospital. Military enforcement teams are currently on the ground at Aveyime and Mepe. Efforts are underway to move the injured that are in critical condition to the police hospital for further treatment. The regional commander has been accordingly informed. Any further development will be communicated in due course,” it said.
Homeland Group
Following a report that the group was operating under the name Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF), police officers were quickly deployed to restore normalcy to the busy highway close to Juapong, the location of the roadblock.
The heavy military and police presence in the area obviously aborted what appeared to be a first phase of the attempt to ‘cut off’ the Volta Region from the rest of the country and turn it to ‘Western Togoland’.
It is the first major skirmish from the group since announcing its so-called independence at a location near the Police Training School in Ho last year led by its supposed leader Charles Kormi Kudzordzi, aka Papavi, believed to be about 86 years old.
Stranded Passengers
Stranded passengers had bewilderment etched on their faces as they were left at the mercy of the so-called rebels until the security operatives descended upon the place to dislodge them.
The passengers were heading for places like Tefle, Tsopoli and Juapong.
Witnesses spoke of heaps of sand among other obstacles used to block the road.
Police Statement
With a security operation to dislodge the ‘secessionists’ whose game plan was an ambitious takeover of the Volta Region, the police issued a statement calling the attention of the public travelling from Accra to Ho, Aveyime, Adidome, Mepe, Akuse, Sogakope and Aflao to the security situation on the road.
The police in a Facebook post said, “Good morning Ghana, commuters to and from Accra to Ho, Aveyime, Adidome, Mepe, Akuse, Sogakope and Aflao are likely to experience traffic due to security operations within those areas.
“Anybody travelling on any of those roads should exercise caution,” the Ghana Police Service urged in a post on Facebook.
Anxiety
The post rather mitigated the apprehension in people who had little information about the occurrence and appeared to have heightened it.
Never have Ghanaians in recent times experienced such a daredevil by ragtag ‘secessionist.’
These so-called ‘secessionists’ appear to step up their game anytime the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in power.
The first effrontery from the ‘secessionists’ was the hoisting of their flag on the Volta Regional Coordinating Council building in Ho.
Large billboards with the inscription ‘Welcome To Western Togoland’ greeted people who travelled on strategic highways in the region amidst burning tyres.
An anonymous ‘rebel’ who spoke to a radio station in Accra said “we are seeking independence of our great motherland.”
Regional Minister
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Achibald Yao Letsa, speaking on the security issue, said “it is a critical security situation we are dealing with right now. We are coordinating activities of the security services.”
He, however, gave an assurance that the situation would be contained, adding that efforts were ongoing to have the kidnapped police officers released.
Build-Up
Observers spoke about an earlier publication of pictures of a so-called graduation ceremony of about 500 so-called rebels at a security location.
An important development in the evolution of the Homeland Study Foundation into a rebel group is the name change from Western Togoland Front to Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) which is the source of the published pictures of the graduating rebels.
Earlier Clampdown
It would be recalled earlier this year that security personnel from the 66 Artillery Regiment of the Ghana Army, police and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) operatives arrested 14 persons for their alleged association with the secessionist group, Homeland Study Group.
It followed a previous arrest and charging of other members of the group for planning to destabilize the country and have a section of Ghana seceded to create a so-called Western Togoland.
The suspects were rounded up at Kpando-Aziavi while they were in a crunch meeting discussing strategies to carry through their Western Togoland project, a document seized from them detailed the strategies they intend implementing.
Charles Kwame Kudzordzi aka Papavi, leader of the group, is still at large.
Secret Training Centre
In February, the Artillery Regiment rounded up another 21 persons at a secret training camp allegedly operated by the secessionist group at Kpevedui in the Ketu North Municipality.
The ‘recruits’, made up of 20 males and a female, were busted in a dawn raid and airlifted to Accra for further investigations.
As for Papavi with his whereabouts still unknown, he is known to put up a picture of somebody with walking challenges when he is arrested.
Soldiers Deployment
The sense in the deployment of soldiers to the country’s frontiers during the voter registration exercise and the ongoing shutdown of the borders as part of the presidential directives on the management of Covid-19 could have made more sense.
Unfortunately, out of political considerations some persons, most of them from the Volta Region, questioned the rationale behind the deployment.
With their stash of firearms regardless of their ragtag state, the Western Togolanders, security observers say, should not be dismissed as persons who cannot pose threat to the security of the nation.
By A.R. Gomda