Akyem Ofoase: Police arrest 5 more ‘Boko Haram’ members

Five more members of a vigilante group that has named itself after Nigeria’s Boko Haram terrorist group, have been arrested by Police in the Eastern region.

Some others were granted bail Tuesday. The suspected Islamic group operating in Akyem Ofoase Zongo in the Akyemanso District has become notorious for flogging residents in the predominantly Muslim community for allegedly flouting certain tenets of the religion.

Eastern regional police PRO ASP Nketia-Yeboah told Starr News, even though more arrests have been made, the suspects are yet to be processed for court.

He, however, refuted claims that the group is an offshoot of the dreaded Boko Haram of neighbouring Nigeria.

At a news conference Thursday in the regional capital, Koforidua, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), James Abass- Abaah, Deputy Regional Commander, the vigilante group was formed as neighbourhood watchdog but boundary and begun taking the law into their own hands.

ACP Abass- Abaah said, on December 16, when the police got the information through social media, they acted quickly and arrested nine people but have since given them police enquiry bail.

He said it was because of the flogging of the perceived law breakers that the Ofoase residents nicknamed them “Ofoase Boko Haram.”

The Deputy Regional Commander emphasised that those arrested have no link with Boko Haram or any other group either in Ghana or outside the country.