President John Dramani Mahama (seated) with his Secretary, Dr Callistus Mahama
The Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, has stated that his boss, President John Dramani Mahama, is concerned about the arrest of people over “politically charged commentary”.
According to a TV3 report on September 23, 2026, Dr Callistus Mahama indicated that President Mahama is of the view that the arrests, which he describes as “disproportionate” and regressive.
He added that the President thinks the arrests are not only undermining public confidence in state institutions but are also making “undeserving” people martyrs.
“The President is particularly concerned that disproportionate arrests over mere criticism or politically charged commentary may be counterproductive, create undeserving martyrs, and undermine public confidence in state institutions,” the Secretary to the President is quoted to have said.
His comments come on the back of recent arrests of persons who have been accused by security officials of inciting the public.
The latest arrest includes that of Salomey Awiti Bafoh, a senior nurse from Techiman, who was arrested over the alleged crimes committed on a social media handle named 'Ghana Jollof' because she knows the person behind the handle.
Speaking at a press briefing on the matter on September 18, 2026, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, stated that an investigation by the police showed that the nurse was not just an innocent bystander.
She said that the police had uncovered that Nurse Bafoh aided and abetted Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as Ghana Jollof, who is accused of publishing false news and offensive content on TikTok.
The CID boss indicated that the conversation between the two suspects showed that they knew each other and had been working together.
"Investigations identified Salomey Awiti Bafoh, a nurse residing at Techiman, as an individual aiding and abetting Babara Asantewaa Kodua, alias Ghana Jollof. Investigations have so far established that Salomey Awiti Bafoh assisted in the dissemination of the videos produced by Babara Asantewaa Kodua by recruiting other persons to redistribute and circulate the materials through various social media platforms.
"Further investigations have proven, through the examination of her phone and its content, that the two have been friends. Similarly, the Police are also in possession of audio interviews admitting the relationship between the two. Forensic examination of audio and video files on the mobile devices in custody as well as mobile money transaction records, indicates that highly influential persons in society have transferred significant sums of money to the suspect, Salomey Awiti, who in turn shares them with Ghana Jollof," COP Donkor said.
MoMo Payments, Chats and More: Police details link between Techiman nurse, 'Ghana Jollof'
BAI/VPO
Foundries, Machines and Jet Engines: Ghana’s untapped engineering potential
Copyright © 1994 - 2026 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
