Ghana Police Arrest Suspect Over Threats To Bring Boko Haram Into Country Amid Chieftaincy Dispute

The Ghana Police Service has arrested a suspect over comments suggesting the introduction of the extremist group Boko Haram into Ghana amid a chieftaincy crisis.

The police described the remarks as a grave threat to public peace and national security.

SaharaReporters gathered that the suspect, identified as Raphael Azare Kariyama, was picked up through an intelligence-led operation aimed at monitoring and curbing the spread of content capable of inciting violence or undermining public order and national security.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Brigitte Babanawo, confirmed the arrest, noting that the suspect’s comments were considered highly inflammatory, particularly given the fragile security situation in parts of the Upper East Region.

According to the statement, Kariyama allegedly made remarks about bringing Boko Haram to Ghana, comments the police say could jeopardise peace in Bawku and surrounding communities.

“The Ghana Police Service has arrested a suspect for making inciteful comments that have the potential to disrupt peace and security in Bawku and its environs,” the statement said.

It added that the arrest followed an intelligence-driven surveillance operation designed to track individuals who use public platforms to promote violence, issue threats, or spread messages that could inflame existing tensions.

“The suspect, Raphael Azare Kariyama, was arrested through an intelligence-led operation to monitor and curb the spread of content that incites violence or threatens public order and national security,” the police said.

The police further disclosed that the suspect is currently in custody and will be arraigned in court in line with Ghanaian law.

“The suspect is currently in police custody and will be put before the court to face the full rigours of the law. Efforts are ongoing to arrest other accomplices linked to this matter,” the statement added.

The Ghana Police Service also issued a stern warning to the public, urging citizens to exercise restraint in their use of social media and other communication platforms, especially on sensitive security and communal issues.

“The Ghana Police Service urges the general public to refrain from making, publishing, or sharing inciteful comments, as such acts undermine peace and security,” Chief Inspector Babanawo said.

Previously, SaharaReporters reported that tension had risen in parts of Ghana after threats linked to the extremist group Boko Haram surfaced on social media, following the arrest and remand of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, a Kusasi man who allegedly paraded himself as the Bakwu Naaba despite long-standing government recognition of another chief.

Boko Haram began trending in Ghana after a group of angry supporters, identified as Muslims, threatened to import Boko Haram into the country unless Abagre was released from detention.

At the heart of the tension is a long-running chieftaincy tussle in Bakwu, a local government area historically plagued by violent clashes between two ethnic groups: the Kusasi and the Mamprusi.

Bakwu is traditionally ruled by a paramount chief known as the Bakwu Naaba. While the Kusasi argue that they are the indigenous people of the area and therefore entitled to the stool, the Mamprusi maintain that history and customs place the chieftaincy firmly in their lineage.

The dispute has simmered for decades, frequently degenerating into violence and often requiring heavy military intervention by the state.

The Ghanaian government has, for years, officially recognised Asigri Abugrago Azoka, a Mamprusi, as the legitimate Bakwu Naaba.

Despite this, Alhaji Seidu Abagre, who hails from the Kusasi ethnic group, allegedly began parading himself as Bakwu Naaba, a move authorities say inflamed tensions and provoked unrest.

On December 24, 2025, Abagre was forcibly removed from the contested palace in a military-backed operation and subsequently arrested.

He was charged with impersonation, acting as a chief without qualification, and provoking violent riots.

On Monday, January 19, a High Court in Accra denied him bail and ordered that he be remanded in custody. The case is scheduled to continue on February 2.

Following the court ruling, some of Abagre’s supporters issued incendiary statements threatening violence and invoking Boko Haram as leverage to pressure the government into releasing him. (SaharaReporters)