Terrorism: Security chiefs meet churches

On Thursday, 16 May 2019, heads of the various state security agencies in Ghana, including the Office of National Security, the Bureau of National Investigations and the Ghana Police Service, met some church leaders to assure them of the security plans put in place to protect churches following the recent attack on a Catholic church in Burkina Faso by gunmen which resulted in the killing of a priest and five worshippers.

The attack on Sunday, 12 May 2019 took place in Dablo, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the capital, Ouagadougou.

Urbain Kabore, a government spokesman for the West African country’s Sahel region, said the gunmen also set fire to a health center and destroyed all places serving alcohol.

Speaking to Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don) on Accra 100.5FM on Friday, 17 May 2019, Mr Emmanuel Garriga, General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council said the security leaders “assured us that we are safe”.

“They told us that they will do everything they can in their power to protect us. They also advised us to beef up our own internal security.”

Mr Garriga further stated that the agencies have offered to train the churches’ security guards.

“They also told us they will provide training for our own security personnel,” he said.