Ghana authorities face scrutiny over social media commentator arrests

Concerns are mounting in Ghana regarding the arrest and detention of individuals linked to the anonymous social media commentator known as ‘Ghana Jollof.’ Akosua Manu, an advisor on Gender and Social Protection, has warned against human rights violations following reports of women being taken from their homes at night by individuals identifying as security operatives.

One specific incident involved the reported midnight detention of Salomey Awity Baffoe in the Techiman Municipality. Her family reported that National Security operatives took her from her home, but local police and regional security officials stated they had no record of the operation. Manu described such incidents as having the ‘disturbing hallmarks of an abduction.’

In response to the trend of arresting social media commentators and TikTokers, the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called for the protection of constitutional rights. GBA President Efua Ghartey emphasized that bail conditions must remain reasonable and proportionate, consistent with the presumption of innocence. The GBA is also considering the establishment of a Human Rights Watch Committee to monitor constitutional compliance and provide legal aid to suspects in such cases.