10 Western-Togoland promoters face court after arrest

Ten members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation, the group championing the cessation of some part of the Volta and Northern Regions are facing trial today (Monday) at the Wa Circuit court.

The suspects were arrested in Tumu last Friday during a stakeholders meeting with chiefs and other opinion leaders in the municipality.

Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive, Karim Nanyua who confirmed in a Citi News interview said, the ten were in the town for a sensitization drive, urging the chiefs and people of the area to support the movement for a Western Togoland.

“They came to sensitize the chiefs and the people of the area and also asking for their support to embark on the movement. We later arrested them. We told them we didn’t understand and we suspected the security implications of what they are doing. We detained them at the Tumu police station and the following morning, we sent them to the Wa Regional Police station for further investigation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP Peter Ndekugiri said preliminary investigations indicate that the members had earlier met the paramount chief of the Wala Traditional area, Naa Fuseina Saidu Pelpuo and his sub-chiefs before heading to Tumu.

The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) led by 85-year-old Komi Kudzordzi, announced its separation on their official social media handles on Saturday, November 16, after a group meeting was held in Ho.

“Today the 16th of November 2019, the leader of Western Togoland independence Mr Charles Kormi Kudzodzi has announced the separation of Western Togoland from Ghana. He sighted numerous reasons as the bases for which the union that was not established must not be recognized. More information will soon reach the General public soon,” they wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, five members of the group who were arrested last month are already facing charges of treason for their involvement in the supposed independence declaration that saw the Volta Region was now ‘Western Togoland.’

The four; Peter Godfriend Edem, Mkpe Tornyi Kudjo, Kofi Agbeko, Agbenyaga Akudzi and Ibrahim Tofa are expected to return to court on December 4.

Background

About 81 members of the separatist group were in May 2019 arrested for assembling for a protest over the arrest of seven leaders of the Homeland Study Group Foundation.

They were subsequently granted bail.

AG drops charges against Western Togoland secessionists

Also, the Attorney General in July 2019 withdrew all charges brought against the members of Homeland Study Group Foundation who were working for the secession of the Volta Region from Ghana.

Appearing before the court presided over by three judges, Winnifred Sarpong, a senior State Attorney told the court that they have been instructed to withdraw the case against the nine.

The accused persons were facing charges of treason, abetment of unlawful assembly and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.

The accused persons at the time were Mr Bisa Akorli, 54, Mr Kofi Dzereke, 39, Mr Thompson Tsigbe, 58, Mr Benjamin Agbadzada, 48, Mr Agbenyega Akudzi, 54, Mr Freemen Blikaku, 36, Mr Nkpe Tsryiri Kudzo aged 61 and Sergeant Samuel Kwabla Kpogli.

They were arrested by a combined team of police and military personnel at Ho on Sunday, May 5 when they were holding a meeting to allegedly to arrange to declare a Western Togoland as an independent state on May 9, 20I9.

According to the police, the group had created a constitution and an anthem for the supposed independence declaration.

The police also claimed that the group leaders were training some youth in “militia-style” to form the core of police and military activities in the supposed new country, the Western Togoland after the declaration of independence. Read Full Story