Ghana arrests over 300 for extremist recruitment attempts

Ghanaian Majority Leader James Agalga has disclosed that more than 300 people were arrested between 2023 and 2025 for alleged extremist recruitment attempts along the country’s northern border. The arrests were conducted by the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies to prevent regional extremist groups from recruiting within Ghana.

Agalga, who also chairs Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, reported that security agencies recorded 47 cross-border incursions during the same period. Speaking at the 9th REPAM-CDS Security Governance Conference, he warned that Ghana’s relative stability should not lead to complacency, noting the country's proximity to nations affected by violent extremism.

In addition to physical security concerns, Agalga highlighted a shift toward non-traditional threats, noting a 12.3 percent increase in cybercrime and fraud cases in 2024. He called for strengthened border security, improved intelligence-gathering, and more robust governance structures to address these transnational and asymmetric threats.