Kanawu Leader Jailed 10yrs For Threatening IGP, Minister

Evelyn Asamoah, a High Court Judge with additional responsibilities in the Circuit Court, Accra has sentenced Mohammed Ibrahim, a self-identified farmer, to a total of 10 years in prison on three counts, following a day-to-day trial.

The court delivered its judgement on Friday, November 30, 2024, after evidence was presented that Ibrahim’s actions were intended to incite fear, threaten public officials, and disturb public peace ahead of Ghana’s December 7 general elections.

Ibrahim was sentenced to four years for publishing false news with intent to cause fear and alarm, three years for the threat of harm and another three years for offensive conduct conducive to a breach of peace.The sentences are to run consecutively, totaling 10 years in prison.

Details of the Charges

Count One: Publication of False News

Ibrahim was found guilty under Section 206 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), for publishing a video on September 3, 2024, falsely alleging that the Ghana Police Service, under the direction of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare and the Minister for the Interior, Henry Quartey, were recruiting fake police officers to harm citizens during the elections. The court deemed the video capable of causing fear and alarm to the public.

Count Two: Threat of Harm

Under Section 74 of the Criminal Offences Act, Ibrahim was convicted for threatening to harm the Minister for the Interior, Henry Quartey. In the same video, Ibrahim claimed he and his associates knew the Minister’s residence and threatened to shoot him if violence erupted.

 

Count Three: Offensive Conduct

The court also convicted Ibrahim for offensive conduct under Section 207 of the Criminal Offences Act.

He was found guilty of using threatening, abusive, and insulting language against IGP Dampare during a public gathering, comments later shared widely on social media.

 

Background of the Case

Ibrahim, who identified himself as the leader of a Revolutionary group called Kanawu (“Speak and Die”), published the contentious video on Facebook, X and TikTok. Wearing a red beret, he accused the police and government officials of conspiring against the public.

His inflammatory remarks included direct threats of violence during the upcoming elections.

Following the video’s circulation, the Ghana Police Service declared Ibrahim wanted on September 10, 2024.

He was subsequently arrested at his Sowutuom residence, where police retrieved the beret featured in the video. Ibrahim admitted to creating and sharing the video during interrogation.

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