The Ghana Police Service has declared the leader of the Homeland Study Group, Charles Kwami Kudzordzi and one Hope Mortey wanted.
The Group which is based in Ho in the Volta Region declared purported independence for Western Togoland in November 2019.
Speaking at a media engagement the IGP, James Oppong-Boanuh advised Charles Kwami Kudzordzi and Hope Mortey to report themselves to the nearest Police station.
“The group is led by one Charles Kwami Kudzordzi alias Papavi who has been on the run since he purportedly declared independence for the Western Togoland. He is currently being pursued by security agencies. He and Hope Mortey are declared wanted and are to report to the nearest Police station. The public is enjoined to volunteer information about their whereabouts.”
The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) led by 85-year-old Komi Kudzordzi, announced its separation on their official social media handles on Saturday, November 16, after a group meeting was held in Ho.
The group has been campaigning for the secession of some parts of Ghana into an independent ’Western Togoland State’.
Leader of the Separatist movement, Mr. Charles Komi Kudzordzi alias Papavi Hogbedetor while addressing a cheerful group of members of the separatist movement in the native Ewe language, recounted their struggles to restore the independence of the pre-independence Western Togoland territory, a German protectorate which was joined to the then Gold Coast to form the new independent country, Ghana on March 6, 1957 under circumstances he believes were ”illegal”.
Citing the recent omission of roads in the Volta Region from the critical roads list in the 2020 budget, Papa Hogbedetor said ” We’ve all witnessed what happened recently when we (Volta Region) were forgotten by the government in its budget. Can a parent forget about their children? We’re not their children, so they have forgotten about us.”
The Octogenarian leader of the separatist movement then declared the ’Western Togo Land’ independent saying ”from midnight of November 16, 2019, entering into Sunday, November 17, 2019, we’re now Western Togoland state.”
Arrest and bail
A total of 17 persons were arrested in connection with an alleged Western Togoland Millita training in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta Region.
The 66 Artillery Regiment based in Ho, the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Ghana Police Service, the Defence Intelligence (DI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service Accra conducted two separate Counter Insurgency Operations (COIN) within the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region to counter activities of the Western Togoland Secessionist.
The Police have granted bail to 15 out of the 17 members arrested.
Each of the suspects was granted a police inquiry bail following preliminary investigation and screening.