The GhanaJollof saga took a new turn in September 2026 with the arrest and prosecution of Salomey Awiti Bafoh, a senior nursing officer from Techiman. She was allegedly an ally of the controversial TikToker known as GhanaJollof, whose real name is Barbara Asantewaa Kodua. The Ghana Police Service issued a wanted person notice for Kodua on September 17, 2026, stating that she was suspected to be hiding in the UK. The notice was issued due to her alleged involvement in inciting violence and publishing false news.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service held a press briefing on September 18, 2026, where they revealed that Kodua had used her social media platform to produce and publish inciteful statements and false news about a coup at the presidency, Jubilee House. The CID boss, Lydia Yarkor Donkor, also mentioned that Salomey Awiti Bafoh had acted as a local liaison to distribute such content on social media. Investigations revealed that Awiti Bafoh had recruited others to redistribute and circulate the material through various social media platforms.
The arrest and wanted notice triggered discussions on free speech, especially amid recent arrests of persons who had expressed critical views on social media about the First Family. However, it also led to the peddling of misinformation and false narratives, particularly on social media. One instance of misinformation emerged immediately after the Police issued the Wanted Person poster, with Facebook and X accounts sharing a supposed funeral poster claiming Barbara Asantewaa Kodua had died in the United Kingdom and was brought to Ghana for burial in 2023.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the funeral poster was generated using artificial intelligence. Several AI-detection software produced strong results showing that the image was not real. This instance of misinformation highlights the ease with which false information can spread on social media, and the need for fact-checking and verification.
Another false narrative shared on X on September 23, 2026, showed a video of the First Lady, Lordina Mahama, speaking at a function, with a caption that she had responded to the wanted TikToker. However, a careful analysis of the video showed that it was not recent. The video was traced back to November 14, 2025, when the First Lady visited Sunyani to organize a community health screening exercise in collaboration with the Ghana Aids Commission.
At the time the video was shared on X, the First Lady was away in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The video was therefore misleading, and its recirculation aimed to create a false narrative that the First Lady had responded to the GhanaJollof saga. This instance highlights the need for critical evaluation of information shared on social media, especially during sensitive and high-profile cases.
The GhanaJollof saga continues to raise concerns about misinformation and the role of social media in shaping public discourse. The spread of false information can have serious consequences, including inciting violence and damaging reputations. As the case unfolds, it is essential to prioritize fact-checking and verification to ensure that accurate information is shared and that the public is not misled.
Key points
- The Ghana Police Service issued a wanted person notice for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, the TikToker known as GhanaJollof, on September 17, 2026.
- A fake obituary poster claiming Kodua had died in the UK was shared on social media, and was later found to be generated using artificial intelligence.
- A recirculated video of First Lady Lordina Mahama was shared on social media, with a misleading caption that she had responded to the wanted TikToker.
