A Deputy Minister for Information, Pius Enam Hadzide says 60 suspected secessionists have so far been arrested in relation to recent disturbances in the Volta Region.
Addressing the press after a crunch meeting between the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, and the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) on the developments in the region, Mr. Hadzide said, “So far, 60 suspected criminals have been arrested.”
He said, “54 [out of the 60 suspects] have been remanded and the rest being processed for court.”
The 60 according to Mr. Hadzide are suspected members of the separatist movement demanding the secession of parts of Ghana to form an independent country called Western Togoland.
With regard to the crunch meeting, the Security Minister held with the stakeholders in the region, Mr. Hadzide said: “The House [of Chiefs] and delegation also agreed that continuous dialogue and collaboration between government, chiefs, and security forces are crucial in the fight ahead”.
Mr. Hadzide indicated that security forces had been deployed to certain areas in the Volta and Oti Regions to beef up security in that part of the country.
“Deployments have been made according to the strategy that the security is using to deal with the unfortunate and criminal event. Deployments have so far been made to Juapong, Hohoe, Aflao, Nkonya-Alavanyo, Kpando, Kpasa, and Kete-Krachi in the Oti Region. There have already been deployments in Kpassa, Kete-Krachi, and Nkonya-Alavanyo but these have been reviewed to deal with the current threats.”
Background
Violent activities of the secessionist groups have heightened in recent times.
Members of the group recently blocked entry roads into the Volta Region in demand of the elevation of Volta Region, Oti Region, and parts of northern Ghana into an independent state known as Western Togoland.
They subsequently attacked the State Transport Corporation (STC) in the Volta Regional capital, Ho, and set ablaze one of its buses.
