It happened in faraway Kenya, where one of the prominent sons of the land, Prof Kofi Awoonor, was killed, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo have all got their share of the deadly attacks, but Ghana has so far been spared the rod.
Unfortunately, not this time round, as the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, is warning every Ghanaian to be on guard, because the potential of terrorists attacking the country is real.
In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, Mr Kan-Dapaah said: The Ministry of National Security would like to draw the attention of the general public to the growing threat of terrorism in our sub-region and urge everyone to be vigilant and extra careful about their personal and communal security.
“Many of our neighbours have unfortunately suffered attacks from the terrorist groups as their activities have spread from the Sahelian region towards the coastal West-African States.
“Our immediate neighbours, Burkina Faso, La Côte d’ivoire and Togo have all experienced such attacks and we have to recognise that our country remains a target as the security services work to keep us all safe.
“The Ministry is making a strong appeal for heightened vigilance in areas of mass gatherings, especially at public places of entertainment and worship, such as churches and mosques.
“The employment of guards, security gadgetry and lighting of the areas surrounding the areas of public gatherings would all help, but nothing beats the vigilance of each of us individuals, taking personal responsibility and looking out for each other.
“This appeal is being made because there is good reason to believe that the terrorists operating within the region have Ghana as a target and there is need to increase security measures and engage the public to be more careful.
“We urge the managers of public places and gatherings to be extra vigilant. We want to reassure the public that the security agencies and all those charged with maintaining the security of the state are working hard to ensure the safety of our country and its people and we count on your continuing support in this endeavor.”
Meanwhile, a security capo The Chronicle engaged, who preferred anonymity, believed that the five levels of threat, from low to critical, should also be spelt out to the public to be better informed of what to do.
The source is of the opinion that the levels of threat are so important that the citizenry would be adaptive.
According to him, the public must also be educated to avoid lynching innocent people because somebody has described them as terrorists. He referenced the shrinking of penis hoax that gained currency in the late 1990s where innocent people were lynched.
