The so-called clergyman, ‘Apostle’ Kwabena Owusu Agyei, 56, whose blood-curdling remarks and death threats on the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) earned him public disdain, was yesterday picked up by National Security operatives as he continued the ranting spree on an Accra-based radio station.
The movie-script style security operation was executed just when the suspect appeared to have reached what sounded like the climax of his vitriolic in a part of his house identified as a place near Greda Estates Indomie Junction at Nungua in Accra.
Arrest Drama
Occasionally wiping the balls of perspiration from his forehead and adjusting himself on the plastic chair on which he sat, he insulted the EC chairperson, Kennedy Agyapong, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairperson Freddie Blay, and even the Daily Guide, some of the words too harsh to be repeated.
There was no letup in his ranting which was being beamed live on Facebook when four persons immediately turned up as if waiting for him to make one of his infamous remarks.
Arrest Warrant
One of them dangled a document which obviously authorized them to effect the arrest of the so-called Apostle.
He was visibly deflated as the eerie words rang through the portion of his house where the recording was taking place: “We are from the National Security and we have a warrant to arrest you.”
One of the operatives reached out to him to physically get him to stand up, but he managed a “don’t touch me”caution even as he eventually gave up to the awesome authority of the state.
He was taken to one of the three Toyota V8 Land Cruisers waiting outside in an uncomfortable harbour-hook mode, his ranting ceased for now.
A lady from Hot FM, who was filming the interview overwhelmed by the swiftness of the action, could not help holding her sentiments, with “oh no, how”, “let us get their numbers” incessantly ringing out from her gaping mouth.
If she had her way, she would have stopped the arrest so the ranting could go on and on. Perhaps, she did not understand the implication of the defamation-laden ranting.
Coded Location
His host on the Hot FM programme, in an obvious effort to conceal details of their location, kept referring to the place as a ‘coded location’ before the operatives zoomed in on them.
If he sought to outwit security operatives by this, he got it all wrong because no sooner had he reached the climax of his ranting than the National Security operatives descended upon them with the warrant of arrest.
Technology enabled the operatives to lock on their location which reportedly turned out to be the residence of the suspect who is currently in National Security custody, awaiting processing.
Radio Commentary
As he was whisked away, the radio presenter and his colleagues ran a commentary of the arrest until the vehicles disappeared from the lenses of the camera into the distance.
There was a frantic effort to scribble the registration numbers of the vehicles by some of the technicians who accompanied the presenter to the suspect’s residence.
Wee Found
Upon his arrival on the National Security premises, a video went viral on social media showing a crestfallen ‘Apostle’ Kwabena Owusu Agyei holding some dried leaves suspected, of course, to be Indian hemp or Marijuana, known in local parlance as Wee, wrapped in a brown paper.
Upon the discovery of the ‘Wee’ in his side pocket, one of the security officers could not hold back this remark in Akan, by rhetorically asking, “A pastor who smokes wee?” because the deflated ‘Apostle’ had lost his tongue not ready to add to his woes.
NDC Assignment
Before he was pounced on by the National Security operatives, the ‘Wee Apostle’ had started the interview by making incendiary statements and was daring the state to arrest him.
He said boldly that Elohim (God) had asked him to speak his mind, exclaiming “my instruction is to lead the NDC to victory and that is what I am doing.”
He then catalogued unsubstantiated accusations, all of them defamatory in substance, against known personalities in politics.
Radio Presenter
The radio presenter, who appeared lost about the difference between the Daily Guide and Crusading Guide erroneously referred to the former’s front page report about the suspect’s threat to kill Jean Mensa during the interview when it was actually the latter which carried it on its front page.
The Daily Guide used the story as a secondary stuff in one of the inside pages not a banner headline piece on the front page as the presenter misleadingly told his host during the interview.
It was as if he had been prompted to open the floodgates of tirades … “Daily Guide is Freddie Blay’s paper, fools! Who does not know them?”
More Attacks
As for the EC Chairperson and others, we would rather not repeat the gibberish he spewed about them because of the indecency involved in doing so.
Asked during the interview whether he is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he denied being a member of the party even though he added that he had been chosen to lead the party to victory.
He accused President Akufo-Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and Yaw Osafo Maafo of giving instructions to Jean Mensa.
When some of his remarks were becoming too crude and defamatory for comfort the presenter cautioned, but he insisted on going on, saying “I am responsible for the remarks I am making.”
2016 Prediction
In 2016, the NDC then in government used this same ‘Wee Apostle’ to defame the then opposition leader, Nana Akufo-Addo, and was backed by the state security apparatus.
Ken’s Confirmation
After the arrest, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, who was not spared in the Wee Apostle’s ranting, confirmed that the suspect was in the custody of the National Security.
He said the agents used the Facebook feed to pick him up.
By A.R. Gomda