The flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for the immediate release of a senior nurse, Salomey Awity Baffoe, who has been remanded in custody over alleged links to the controversial “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.
Dr Bawumia, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the arrest and subsequent remand of the nurse, arguing that the development raised questions about the protection of free speech in Ghana.
He said reports that Ms Baffoe, a Techiman-based nurse and mother of three, had been picked up at night by security operatives and subsequently remanded over allegations relating to the publication of false news were “very worrying”.
The NPP flagbearer said the development did not represent the Ghana he wanted to see and cautioned against the use of intelligence agencies to pursue citizens over speech considered offensive to the President or other public officials.
“I have always disavowed a politics of insults and will remind all in the political space of the need to be decorous,” Dr Bawumia said.
He, however, stressed that the right to free expression remained fundamental to Ghana’s democratic system, arguing that restrictions on the right could have implications for democratic governance.
“Free speech, as unpalatable as it may be sometimes, is the foundation of our democracy,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia further accused the government of selectively applying the law, alleging that some citizens were allowed to make insulting comments without facing prosecution while others were arrested and jailed because of the persons targeted by their comments.
He therefore appealed for the release of Ms Baffoe and other persons he said had been similarly charged and detained.
Ms Baffoe, a 40-year-old Senior Nursing Officer based in Techiman, was remanded by the Adenta Circuit Court after pleading not guilty to an allegation of aiding and abetting the publication and circulation of false news on social media.
The prosecution alleges that she acted as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, also known as “Ghana Jollof”, and assisted in disseminating videos produced by Ms Kodua through various social media platforms.
According to the prosecution, investigations indicated that Ms Baffoe recruited other persons to redistribute the videos and that there were financial arrangements between the two women. The prosecution also told the court that investigations were continuing.
The court subsequently refused her bail application and ordered that she remain in police custody while investigations continued. The case has been adjourned to September 30, 2026.
Her lawyer, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has questioned the basis for her continued detention, particularly after authorities reportedly told the court that the person behind the “Ghana Jollof” account was believed to be in the United Kingdom.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association has also confirmed her arrest and said it had engaged the police and her lawyers to establish the circumstances surrounding the case.
Dr Bawumia concluded his statement by urging the government to release Ms Baffoe and others facing similar charges, while calling for the protection of freedom of expression.
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