By AFP - Agence France Presse
March 19, 2024
Published On the Biafra post
A Ghanaian court has sentenced four people to a combined 17 years in prison, including a police officer and military personnel, on charges of operating an outlawed separatist organisation.
The Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) separatist group was blamed in 2020 for attacks on police stations and blockades of roads in its campaign for a breakaway state near the border with Togo.
The sentencing, handed down on Wednesday by a judge in the capital, Accra, followed guilty verdicts on charges including membership in a prohibited organisation, convening meetings, attending gatherings, and making contributions for the group's benefit.
"The sentence serves as a firm warning against any attempts to undermine our nation's stability," Judge Mary Maame Ekueh Yanzuh said.
Founder Michael Koku Kwabla, also known as Togbe Yesu Edudzi, received five years in jail along with a fine of $940, while Nene Kwaku, Emmanuel Afedo and Abednego Mawena each received four years.
They had all pleaded not guilty.
Speaking to AFP after the verdict, defence lawyer Andy Vortia said he will appeal for leniency, citing three years already served in custody.
"That’s too harsh. My clients have already instructed me to appeal and we’ll do exactly that in the next few weeks," Vortia said.
In 2020, separatists declared the Volta and Oti regions, which border neighbouring Togo, a sovereign state, following earlier attempts since 2017.
The rebels' actions included blocking roads, attacking state installations, freeing inmates, and raising flags to proclaim independence.
Security forces dismantled their camp, seizing materials including anthem books and currency specimens.
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