The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Ghana's police has revealed a personal connection between the operator of the 'Ghana Jollof' TikTok account and a nurse currently on remand over allegations of publishing false news. Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the CID, disclosed that investigators had confirmed Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, who runs the 'Ghana Jollof' account, is a friend of Salomey Awiti Bafoh. This was based on interactions, money-transfer transactions, and Salomey's own admission of the friendship when questioned.
According to COP Donkor, the CID uncovered that the 'Ghana Jollof' TikTok account had been used to make offensive and inciteful remarks and circulate videos containing false information capable of causing fear and panic among the public. One example cited was a claim posted on the account alleging there had been a near coup d'état at the Jubilee House. The police also believe that Salomey helped distribute such videos and recruited others to share them further.
The CID Director-General stated that investigators believe some influential individuals in society may have been sponsoring the spread of the content. This was based on mobile money transfer records that Police intend to present in court. Salomey had, on occasion, shared money with Ghana Jollof and other alleged accomplices, and Ghana Jollof had reciprocated in kind.
The case has become a flashpoint for wider concerns about how far Police can go in pursuing online speech offences. Social media personality Twene Jonas publicly dared Police to declare him wanted too, while legal analyst Kofi Bentil questioned the authority of Police to demand phone passwords from suspects in the matter.
The disclosure comes after Police named 'Ghana Jollof' and suggested she may be based in the UK, a development that first drew the account into the investigation. Salomey was reportedly picked up from her home at night on 13 September, with the New Patriotic Party's Techiman South constituency demanding her release or bail amid conflicting accounts of how the arrest was carried out.
For ordinary Ghanaians who post or share content online, the case underscores that Police are actively tracking financial and communication links between social media accounts, particularly where content is deemed capable of causing public alarm. Salomey remains on a two-week remand handed down by the Accra Circuit Court.
Police have said investigations are ongoing to identify others allegedly involved in sponsoring or spreading the content, but no timeline has been given for when charges against additional persons, including Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, might follow. The CID has urged the public to be cautious in their online conduct to help maintain a safe digital environment.
Key points
- The Ghana police have revealed a personal connection between TikToker 'Ghana Jollof' and jailed nurse Salomey Awiti Bafoh.
- The case has stirred public debate over police powers and free expression in Ghana.
- The police are continuing investigations to identify sponsors and other persons connected to the circulation of alleged illegal content.
