Vigilante Act was a 'knee-jerk reaction' - Former Minister

Former National Security Minister, Francis Poku, has described the enactment of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), as a “knee-jerk reaction”, arguing that some of its provisions make the law difficult to enforce.

Speaking at the National Policy Dialogue on Vigilantism organised by Election Watch Ghana on Tuesday, August 25 2026, Poku questioned whether the legislation was necessary in the first place.

The Act was passed amid growing public concern over political vigilantism, particularly following the violence that occurred during the January 31, 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

However, Poku argued that the state already had enough information and legal mechanisms to deal with the conduct that the Act sought to criminalise.

“This Vigilante Act 999 was a knee-jerk reaction because, as far as I’m concerned, within 24 hours the system should have known what had happened because those involved were within national security,” he said.

According to him, rather than introducing a new law in response to public pressure, authorities could have strengthened existing laws and used them to prosecute persons involved in acts of political vigilantism.

Poku also raised concerns about the practical enforcement of Act 999, particularly its evidentiary requirements and mandatory prison terms.

He argued that the severity of some of the prescribed sentences could discourage police officers from pursuing cases under the law.

“Let’s look at the law again. It is never going to work. And you have the mandatory sentence of 10 years, just for protecting your property but overreacting. So look at the provisions and whether you are ready to send somebody to court to be sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment; and even if you are holding anything considered a weapon, it’s 15 years to 25 years. And that is why the police will not even try to enforce that law,” he said.

Poku further criticised the law for failing to adequately tackle the persistent problem of land guards, which he linked partly to weaknesses in Ghana’s land dispute resolution system.

He suggested that addressing vigilantism and related criminal activities requires more than legislation, with stronger institutions and effective mechanisms for resolving disputes also needed.

His comments come amid renewed discussions about the effectiveness of Ghana’s legal and institutional response to political vigilantism and other forms of organised violence.

The National Policy Dialogue was held to examine the challenges surrounding vigilantism and explore practical measures to strengthen Ghana’s democratic and security institutions.

NA/VPO

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