Boko Haram formed in Ghana; 3 arrested for torture

Credible Information gathered by the Daily Heritage newspaper indicates that the Eastern regional police command has arrested three suspected Islamic extremists who formed a Boko Haram group at Akim Ofoase in the Eastern region, and have been engaged in torturing Muslim women who defy their orders.

The suspects are Abdullah Sulemana a.k.a taller, 30, Bukari Musa, 28, and Danjima Sheriff, 17. Other members of the group are, however, at large and are believed to be hiding in Nima, a suburb of Accra.

The suspects were captured in a minute and half video tape (in the possession of the paper) torturing and lashing female Muslims at Akim Ofoase Zongo who defied their orders banning Muslims in the community from transacting business or mingling with Christians in the area.

Preliminary investigations conducted indicate that the replica group of Boko Haram formed in the Akim Ofoase Zongo community was approved by the Muslim leadership in the Zongo community with the aim of running a pure Islamic community.

The Daily Heritage gathered in an interview with one of the victims, Lad Muhammed, who received over 100 lashes at her back by members of the Boko Haram group as punishment for buying food from a Christian; each member of the group gave her 30 lashes at the back for defying their order.

Confirming the story to the paper, the Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, ASP Yaw Nketia Yeboah explained that the police upon receiving a tip off from the media, launched investigations into the matter and laid surveillance in the Zongo Community at Akyem Ofoase together with the Akyem Oda Police Command, which led to the arrest of the three members of the group.

ASP Yeboah added that the Eastern regional police command is on the ground to fish out the other suspects in their hideouts to face prosecution.

He said the Eastern regional police commander, DCOP Yaagy Akuriba has attached seriousness to the unfortunate incident, hence, digging deep into the matter to ascertain the root cause and masterminds behind the formation of the replica Nigerian militant group, Boko Haram.

He allayed public fears of the group being allied to Boko Haram in Nigeria, explaining that members of the group have no relationship with the Original Boko Haram group. The three suspects are currently behind bars at the Akyem Oda Police unit.

Boko Haram, literally meaning ''western education is abominable'' is an Islamist extremist group responsible for dozens of massacres of civilians and the abduction of more than 500 women and girls in its five-year insurgency in Nigeria.

Clashes between Muslims and Christians, common in Nigeria, radicalized the group and with frictions with local authorities escalated into retaliatory attacks.

After the group’s founder was killed by the Nigerian police in 2009, his followers went underground, swearing vengeance. Since then, Boko Haram has carried out a number of increasingly lethal attacks on villages, government buildings, police stations, prisons, churches and even mosques.

Many African countries including Ghana have strengthened their security set up to prevent the Islamist group from spreading its tentacles to the country, hence, the replica group of Boko Haram formed at Akyem Ofoase in the Eastern region is raising serious security concerns.