Some residents of Akim Ofoase, a predominantly Muslim community in the Eastern Region have questioned the report of Boko Haram presence in the area.
Police on December 16, 2014, upon social media information arrested nine members of a vigilante group in the area who flogged a young lady for buying food from a Christian.
In the rejoinder dated December 26, 2014 and signed by leaders of the community, they categorically stated that the Boko Haram report is untrue and there is no Boko Haram in their community.
It also describes a video showing the flogging as "doctored and an attempt by unscrupulous persons who want to malign and drag the good name of the community into the mud".
The statement finally requested for an apology from the reporter of the daily Heritage newspaper who broke the story adding that "Muslim women in Akim Ofoase are still carrying out and transacting their normal business with their Christian counterparts without any problem at all".
At a news conference on Thursday in the regional capital, Koforidua, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), James Abass- Abaah, Deputy Regional Commander said it was because of the flogging of the perceived lawbreakers that the Ofoase residents nicknamed them “Ofoase Boko Haram.”
The Deputy Regional Commander emphasized that those arrested have no link with Boko Haram or any other group either in Ghana or outside the country.
The police confirmed to Starrfmonline.com that the incident actually happened in the Eastern region.
Read the Press Release from residents of Akim Ofoase community below:
We, the Ofoase zongo Chiefs, the Imams, Opinion leaders and the concerned youths of Akim Ofoase in the Eastern Region of Ghana wish to make clarifications on an article that appeared on Ghanaweb.com on Tuesday, 23rd December 2014, with the above title BOKO HARAM FORMED IN GHANA; 3 ARRESTED FOR TORTURE, with reference to the Daily Heritage newspaper.
The same issue was the subject of newspaper reviews on almost all the radio stations in Ghana from Tuesday to date. Again, the same issue appeared in almost all the online portals of all the radio and television stations in Ghana.
We wish to state categorically and with authority that, the purported emergence of Boko Haram in our community is false, misinformation and a calculated attempt by some unscrupulous persons to malign and drag the good name of Akim Ofoase through the mud and bring its good name into disrepute.
The chiefs cannot sit unconcerned to allow criminals and unscrupulous persons or group of person to terrorize its good people to go scot free.
The news paper’s report that “a minute and half videotape showing the torturing and lashing of female Muslims at Akim Ofoase zongo” is a doctored material from those unscrupulous persons and must not be entertained and considered serious by the good people of Ghana.
We also wish to state that, we believe and respect the fundamental human rights, child rights and the teachings of the Islamic religion as regards to the rights of women in the Holy Quran and in the constitution of Ghana respectively. We therefore, wish to inform the entire nation that nobody has been engaged to torture Muslim women at Akim Ofoase zongo as reported by the Daily Heritage newspaper.
Muslim women in Akim Ofoase are still carrying out and transacting their normal business with their Christian counterparts without any problem at all. Our Muslim girls attended schools in the Christian institutions normally before schools went on vacation.
Again, the newspaper also reported that “the purported Boko Haram group formed in the Akim Ofoase was approved by the Muslim leadership with the aim of running a pure Islamic community” is false, unfortunate, disheartening, criminal and frivolous and so, must be frown on by all good people of Ghana.
Good people of Ghana!! We have these few questions to ask:
1. Is it not strange and fallacious for somebody to report that a lady has received 100 and over lashes at her back because she went and bought food from a Christian?
2. And still walk around a normal person moving from one radio station to the other making false allegations?
3. Did the reporter enquire and received any medical report to that regard from the victim before bringing out such report to the public?
4. Did the reporter do any due diligence before bringing his report to the public?
It is high time journalists of this caliber elevate themselves above these bad journalistic practices and learn from the good ones because Ghanaian media is progressing in the right direction.
We also want the reporter to do the honorable thing by coming out to apologize to Ofoase zongo chiefs, imams, opinion leaders and the entire concerned youths of Akim Ofoase. He must also go above all realities to apologize to the security personnel and the entire nation for causing fear and panic in the country for his own good.
We wish to assure the good people of Ghana that, Akim Ofoase and its environs is at peace and as law abiding leaders; we will do everything possible to ensure that the good name of Akim Ofoase will not be destroyed by any unscrupulous person or group of persons.
We wish to extend our heartfelt invitations to all meaningful Ghanaians and security agencies who wish to know the real issues pertaining to this report to come down to Akim Ofoase to ascertain the real truth on the matter.
We also want extend our sincere thanks and appreciations to Akim Ofoase Police together with the Akim Oda police command for their quick interventions on the purported report.
We wish to assure them that any necessary information that they would need from us would be made available to them anytime any day.
Thank you all and merry Christmas
BUHARI ABUBAKAR (YOUTH LEADER)
MR.ALHASSAN SAED (IMAM) 0249178278
MR.MUDASIRU ZAKARIA (KOTOKOLI CHIEF) 0203556612
ABDUL BASIT ADAM (OPINION LEADER) 0244155259