Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has questioned the effectiveness of relying on arrests and remand to address the activities associated with the Ghana Jollof account, noting that the account remained active while Salomey Awity Bafoh was in custody.

Speaking on Joy FM, Kpebu said Ghana Jollof continued attacking people, including the police, while media discussions were ongoing over Bafoh’s detention.

“Yesterday, whilst we were having radio interviews about Salomey in custody, Ghana Jollof was blasting and blasting even the police. So, she’s still out there,” he said.

Police have alleged that Barbara Asantewaa Kodua is behind the Ghana Jollof account and that she paid Bafoh and others to help redistribute content.

Those allegations form part of an ongoing investigation and have not been established by a court.

Bafoh, a 40-year-old senior nursing officer, was remanded for two weeks by the Adentan Circuit Court after pleading not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime, specifically the alleged publication and circulation of false news. She is expected to reappear in court on September 30.

Kpebu said the wider issue should not be reduced to handcuffs, police cells and trials, arguing that the culture of political vitriol requires a different approach.

“That’s how come I thought that look, this thing is not about handcuffs and police cells and trials. It’s about a national conversation,” he said.

He said the continued activity of Ghana Jollof was part of the reason he believed political actors and citizens needed to sit down and agree on limits to abusive political discourse.

“So that when we have the national conversation, we’ll call a truce,” he added.

Kpebu said the level of vitriol associated with Ghana Jollof was particularly high.

“Ghana Jollof’s vitriol is higher. Nobody has more vitriol than her,” he said.

He also recalled statements attributed to Kodua about stopping her activities if Kevin Taylor was restrained.

“She has stated clearly that if we can rein in Kevin Taylor, she would stop. She said that several times. There was one she even addressed to me,” Kpebu said.