Arrest of Techiman nurse is purely political persecution – ‘Ghana Jollof’

Ms Kodua made the claim after the arrest of Salomey Awiti Baffoe, who is accused by the police of helping to circulate videos allegedly produced by the UK-based operator of the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.

Ms Baffoe, a mother of three, was arrested at her home in Hansua, near Techiman, on September 13 and later brought before the Adentan Circuit Court in Accra.

She has been charged with abetment of crime, specifically the alleged publication and circulation of false news, contrary to Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). She has pleaded not guilty.

According to the prosecution, Ms Baffoe allegedly acted as a liaison for Ghana Jollof and helped recruit other people to redistribute videos produced by her.

The police also allege that Ghana Jollof transferred money to Ms Baffoe to support the activities, with portions of the money allegedly distributed to others involved in circulating the videos. These allegations are before the court and have not been established.

Ms Kodua, however, insists that Ms Baffoe has been wrongly targeted and says the arrest is politically motivated.

Reacting to the arrest and the allegations against Ms Baffoe, Ms Kodua (Ghana Jollof) questioned whether the law was being applied equally to people on different sides of Ghana’s political divide.

“What will let you know that it’s political persecution. The things that you claim the person has said, has any member of your government said those exact words before, and nothing has been done to the person?” she asked.

She referred to comments she attributed to a social commentator and blogger, Kevin Taylor, saying that similar statements should also have attracted the attention of the security agencies.

“I have a video where Kevin Taylor said that after 10 days of swearing in Mahama, he will make sure that the laws don’t work in the country,” Kodua claimed.

“So the claims by Kevin Taylor are also equal to a coup. A country that has no laws is a coup d’état. Yet still, the security protected him. We have legal experts who have documented this.”

Ms Kodua has further alleged that Ms Baffoe is being targeted because of her husband's political activities.

“They know that her husband is an NPP communication director (Chicago branch, US) and they want to frustrate the wife,” she said.

“She’s not active on Facebook and other social media platforms. Check the name they used to arrest her. She’s not even someone who shares videos.”

She said that Ms Baffoe herself was not a politician.

“He’s the one who is an active politician; the wife isn’t a politician,” Kodua said, referring to the nurse's husband.

Ms Kodua has rejected that allegation and questioned what evidence the police have that Ms Baffoe shared her videos.

“The police don’t have any charge against this woman. But they want to force and find a charge against her,” she alleged.

“Since the day the Police arrested her, how many charges have they issued against her?”

She further said that Ms Baffoe was not an active social media user and had no reason to be connected to the “Ghana Jollof” account.

“When you listen to the interview granted by the nurse’s husband, he said that the wife does not even have a social media account,” Kodua said.

“And it’s true because the name they used to arrest her, Salomey Awuti Baffour, when you search for that name on TikTok, check and see if she had ever posted my video or shared my video before.”

Kodua also disputed the suggestion that Baffoe had a personal relationship with her.

“And mind you, this lady isn’t someone who even knows me,” she said.