IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare
The Ghana Police Service has sent strong warning to prophets who publicly spell doom on people, especially celebrities in the country.
According to the police, such acts are against the laws of the country, and prophets who engage in such activities will be made to face the full rigors of the law.
Jesus Ahuofe
The final warning follows the arrest of Prophet Steven Akwasi Appiah, popularly known as Jesus Ahuofe, the founder and leader of New Life Kingdom Chapel International, who gave death prophecy about controversial dancehall musician, Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly called Shatta Wale.
The pastor on September 28, openly said in a supposed prophecy on radio that Shatta Wale was going to be gunned down on Monday, October 18, a day after the musician’s birthday.
In the ensuing heat, Shatta Wale and his boys who are now on remand, allegedly staged that the popular musician had been shot.
There was pandemonium on social media after reports went viral that the popular artist had been shot at East Legon, in Accra, in a drive-by style on Monday, October 18 night.
It later turned out that Shatta Wale had feigned the whole incident, which is similar to what a woman in Takoradi in the Western Region recently did when she claimed she was kidnapped, but it turned out to be untrue.
Jesus Ahuofe was similarly arrested and remanded last week and was only granted GH¢100,000 bail yesterday by an Accra Circuit Court.
Final Warning
The police has warned that henceforth, they are going to clamp down on supposed pastors who are in the habit of publicly putting the fear of death in people.
“The law is against false publication, thereby if you make your prophecy publicly without any evidence then you have breached the law and the law will deal with you,” ASP Alexander Kweku Obeng, Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service said yesterday.
“There is the need for everyone to learn something from what has transpired and know that it is against the law, so when you go and breach the law then note that you will face the consequences alone,” he added.
“Woe betides any pastor or prophet who embarks on the same tangent as what the other prophet did. If you have seen that it is wrong when you openly prophesy about someone to cause fear and panic then it is your problem. You can go ahead and prophesy if you want to but the law is there to deal with you,” ASP Obeng explained.
He, therefore, advised pastors and celebrities to be law abiding citizens since the law is no respecter of any person.
Meeting Pastors
The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare met religious leaders and other faith-based organisation heads and told them in plain language that the law is going to be applied and therefore urged them to let their members exercise some restraint in the way they openly spread fear and panic through their supposed prophecies.
Leaders of the Orthodox and Catholic Church, Charismatic, Pentecostal and Muslim community were all present at the meeting.
ACP Kwesi Ofori, Director General of Public Affairs Directorate said the meeting was at the stance of the IGP and the Police Administration, following recent developments regarding the activities of people who call themselves men of God, which have sometimes put the country on a precipice.
He said the IGP decided to meet the religious leaders to dialogue, share ideas and build a common front to confront the challenges, and limitations that are facing the country now.
“We believe that having the men of God to dialogue on some issues bordering our security will help foster the relationship between the Ghana Police Service and its allied agencies and relations with faith-based organisations,” he disclosed.
Some individuals claiming to have the power of God have been having free licence to spread fear and panic in the country for sometime now.
Some go to the extent of predicting election results, often sparking tension, and others are in the habit of declaring death on personalities, especially celebrities in the country.
After Meeting
After the meeting, the police administration said they resolved to intensify public education that nobody can trample the rights of another in the name of religion.
They said they will continue to explain the law and the offences involved so that people purporting to be called by God cannot hide behind religion to perpetrate crime.
Most Rev. Paul Boafo, Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church, Ghana, said they had fruitful discussions with the police administration.
He said issues of putting fear in people through prophecies and unbridled noise making by some religious bodies in the name of worshiping God, were high on the agenda.
Shatta Wale ‘Pastor’
Jesus Ahuofe was remanded last Thursday by the court presided over by Her Honour Ellen Offei Aryeh after being arrested earlier, for causing fear and panic.
He made a second appearance yesterday and was granted GH¢100,000 bail with three sureties who are gainfully employed.
As part of the bail conditions, the pastor has been ordered by the court to report to the police every Monday and Thursday until otherwise ordered by the court.
The court in remanding him last Thursday had said the prosecution needed time to conclude their investigation as pushed by the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey.
Jesus Ahuofe will return to court on October 29, 2021.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey & Vincent Kubi