25 Suspects Face Trial, 13 Others Remain on the Run
Twenty-five suspects have so far been put before the courts in connection with election-related violence recorded during Ghana’s 2020 and 2024 general elections, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has disclosed.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, Mr Muntaka said one of the 26 suspects had since been discharged, while the remaining 25 are currently standing trial.
He added that the police were pursuing 13 other suspects who had been identified in connection with various cases but remained at large.
The Minister assured the public that efforts were underway to apprehend the outstanding suspects and support the prosecution of those already before the courts.
“The public will be duly informed of further developments as investigations and prosecution progress,” he said, while appealing to members of the public with information on the whereabouts of the 13 suspects to assist the police.
The latest update follows President John Mahama’s directive for a comprehensive investigation into election-related violence recorded during the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
Election-related violence during the 2020 polls resulted in at least eight deaths, according to a validation exercise by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).
The National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF), in a December 9, 2020 update, reported 61 cases of violence between the morning of December 7, 2020 and the forenoon of December 9, 2020.
Of these, 21 were classified as genuine cases of electoral violence, with six involving gunshots that resulted in five deaths at the time of the report.
The incidents occurred in constituencies including Ablekuma Central and Odododiodio in the Greater Accra Region, Techiman South in the Bono East Region, Savelugu in the Northern Region and Awutu Senya East in the Central Region.
Subsequent reports increased the death toll to eight.
Among the most serious incidents was a clash between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Odododiodio Constituency.
The incident claimed the lives of 15-year-old Rita Otoo Teki, 16-year-old Botwe Tackie and 36-year-old Emmanuel Dompreh.
The violence reportedly began after NPP supporters took to the streets to celebrate their claimed victory in the constituency. Their celebrations triggered a confrontation with NDC supporters, during which gunshots were fired. Eight people were reportedly injured.
The police later announced that five suspects had been arrested after investigations led to the retrieval of weapons believed to have been used in the shooting.
In June 2021, the Criminal Investigation Department said the five suspects were standing trial on charges including murder and possession of firearms without lawful authority.
Another fatal incident occurred at the Odorkor Police Church, which served as a collation centre for the Ablekuma Central Constituency.
Abass Ibrahim, a 30-year-old NDC activist, was shot on December 8, 2020, during disturbances at the centre. He later died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on December 16.
According to the police, the disturbances began after an Electoral Commission official left the collation centre with a results sheet, prompting suspicions among some observers.
The police said security personnel opened fire after being attacked by a crowd, resulting in injuries.
The police CID later identified a soldier as the suspected shooter but said further investigations were required to establish his identity.
However, media reports identified the alleged shooter as Collins Quarcoo, popularly known as Kola, a National Security operative.
Quarcoo was subsequently arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court on charges including causing harm, possession of a firearm without lawful authority and using an offensive weapon without legal authority.
The case was adjourned several times, with the last reported adjournment being in February 2021.
Techiman South in the Bono East Region also recorded deadly violence during the 2020 elections.
Thirty-six-year-old trader Tajudeen Alhassan and 18-year-old electrician Abdallah Ayaric were shot dead at Brokyepem Hall.
The incident occurred when people gathered at the collation centre to protest what they believed was an attempt to manipulate the constituency’s election results.
Video footage from the incident appeared to show military personnel firing into a crowd that was fleeing the scene. Seven other people were reportedly injured.
In Savelugu in the Northern Region, two teenagers, 14-year-old Samira Zakaria and 15-year-old Fuseini Musah, were killed by gunfire during celebrations following the NDC’s victory in the constituency.
The 2024 general elections also recorded fatal incidents in several parts of the country.
According to the Interior Minister, election-related deaths occurred in the Central, Northern, Savannah, Bono East and Ashanti regions, including Awutu Senya East, Tolon, Damango, Nkoranza South, Offinso North and Ahafo Ano South-West.
The latest government figures indicate that violence linked to the 2020 and 2024 elections left 15 people dead and 40 others injured.