Timeline: The ‘disturbing’ rise and rise story of Western Togoland group

The campaign for the seceding of the Volta Region from Ghana has existed since the 90s.

Over the years, certain persons and institutions in the Volta Region have either remotely or explicitly mooted the idea of the region breaking apart from Ghana.

Charles Komi Kudzordzi, aka Papavi, the leader of the group, has been said to be a crusader for the creation of the Western Togoland in his early days and used media platforms in the region to advance this agenda.

The last four years however has seen the group get more vocal, braver and radical in their demand for independence from Ghana.

In March 2016, the Group warned political parties in the country not to campaign in the Volta Region.

The Group said that the Volta Region was not going to be part of the 2016 elections.

It turned out to be a fallacy as the region participated in the 2016 elections.

March 17, 2017

Three members of the group were arrested by the police on the above date. Papavi was among the three arrested but there were later freed by the government.

Papavi and his cohorts were made to sign bonds of good behaviour but as we all know, the terms of the bond have been broken by the group.

May 6, 2019

Papavi was once again in the thick of affair as the police apprehended eight members of the group.

They were arrested in their hideout where they were planning to announce their independence on May 9.

The police also discovered that the group had a militia of well-built men who were undergoing training.



May 8 2019

Thirty more members of the group were arrested following confessions by the eight who were arrested earlier.

However, twenty-eight of the arrested members were discharged while the other ten were processed for court. They were charged with treason.

May 9, 2020

Despite the arrests made, some elements of the Group went ahead to declare their supposed independence and announced their plans for the ‘new country’.

July 8, 2019

The arrested secessionists were freed after the Attorney-General through Winifred Sarpong, a senior state attorney informed the court that they have been instructed to withdraw the case.

November 18, 2019

The group insisted that by virtue of their declaration on May 9, they are a sovereign country with no allegiance to Ghana.

Armed by this notion, the group said they were making moves for the Volta Region to be recognized by the UN as a different entity from Ghana.

November 20, 2019

Another set of arrests were made, this time ten people caught by the police.

Their arrest by Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and National Security operatives followed an unannounced hunt for their octogenarian leader, Charles Komi Kudzordzi, aka Papavi Kudzordzi, and key members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF).

Nothing substantial came out of these arrests.



March 5, 2020

The group indicated their ever-growing presence with the hoisting of a flag at the premise of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council.

The flag which was seen flying high was quickly pulled down by security personnel from the Volta Regional Police Command.

September 3, 2020

A signboard with the inscriptions ‘Welcome to Western Togoland’ and ‘You are leaving Western Togoland’ was spotted at Akorley in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region.

Armed police officers from the Somanya Police Command had to pull it down.

September, 25, 2020

On Friday, the group carried their most brazen attack, which was the blocking of some roads in the Volta Region.

The group stormed some police posts and kidnapped three officers. One of the officers has been released while rescuing operations are ongoing for the other two.

One member of the group was killed while three other members of the group and the Police Commander at Aveyime were injured during an exchange of fire between the secessionist group and security agencies.

The joint Police and Army team, however, succeeded in arresting 31 members of the group