By Augustine Ehikioya
For alleging a blame game between two government agencies over the whereabout of alleged 48 terrorists, the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service have declared that no terrorist was arrested.
In a joint press release signed by the Director, Police Public Affairs, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Grace Ansah-Akrofi and Immigration Head of Public Affairs, Chief Superintendent, Michael Amoako-Atta, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), the agencies refuted the Ghanaian Time’s report.
Urging the public to disregard the report, they advised media houses to always verify their information and be circumspect in their use of the term “terrorists”.
The statement reads “The attention of the Police Service and Immigration Service has been drawn to a publication by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper on the front page and page 12 – of Thursday, January 5, 2023, which story has also since then been carried by other media houses alleging that there is a blame game between the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service over the whereabouts of some 48 alleged terrorists.
“We wish to state categorically that the said publication is false and should be disregarded. No supposed terrorists have been arrested by the Police and the Ghana Immigration Service, and there is certainly no blame game going on between the two state security agencies as is being falsely claimed by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper.
“We would like to put on record, for the avoidance of any doubt, that some 48 foreign nationals were arrested by the Police and the Immigration in two separate operations at Ekyem, Achiase and Akokoamong near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region in September, 2022, for engaging in Illegal Network Marketing (QNET).
“All 48 suspects were profiled in line with standard operating procedures of our two institutions and were repatriated to their various home countries between September 26th and September 29, 2022.
“We would like to urge the public, especially the media, to be circumspect in their use of the term “terrorists” and avoid using the word loosely and irresponsibly, and thus create unwarranted fear and panic in a peaceful society such as ours.
“Our two state security institutions continue to collaborate and partner with each other in the discharge of our respective mandates for the good of our beloved country,” the statement stated.