Lawyer Challenges Ghana Police: Conflicting 'Ghana Jollof' Identities

• Lawyer Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, a member of the NPP legal team, has criticized the Ghana Police Service for presenting conflicting identities for the 'Ghana Jollof' social media account across different charge sheets.
• In a May 2025 charge sheet, 'Ghana Jollof' was identified as Alberta Okrah, while in a current case involving his client, senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh, the identity is attributed to Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, with both individuals listed as 'at large'.
• The police claim to have traced electronic money transactions linked to the account, making the identity discrepancies particularly concerning.
• Afoakwa questioned the investigative integrity and intelligence capabilities of the national Police CID, highlighting the embarrassment of such inconsistencies.
• Unconfirmed social media reports about the alleged death of Barbara Asantewaa Kodua could further complicate the identity issue if verified.

This situation exposes potential weaknesses in police investigative procedures regarding digital identities and charge sheet accuracy, raising concerns about the reliability of identification evidence in broader legal contexts.

A prominent legal practitioner has publicly challenged the Ghana Police Service over what he describes as embarrassing inconsistencies in identifying the individual behind the popular 'Ghana Jollof' social media account. Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, a lawyer and member of the NPP legal team, raised serious questions regarding the Ghana Police conflicting 'Ghana Jollof' identities presented in different official charge sheets.

Mr. Afoakwa, who represents senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh, highlighted that in a charge sheet filed by the police in May 2025, a person named Alberta Okrah was identified as 'Ghana Jollof' and listed as being at large. However, in the current case involving his client, the police have named a different individual, Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, as 'Ghana Jollof', also indicating she is at large. This stark contradiction prompted Afoakwa to question the police's investigative capabilities.

The discrepancies in the Ghana Police charge sheets are particularly striking given the nature of the allegations. In the 2025 document, Alberta Okrah was listed as the second of three accused persons, explicitly identified as 'Alberta Okrah, alias Ghana Jollof, at large.' This contrasts sharply with the charge sheet pertaining to Ms. Bafoh's case, where Barbara Asantewaa Kodua is presented as the alias for 'Ghana Jollof.'

Adding to the complexity, the police have claimed that their investigations included tracing electronic money transactions purportedly linked to the person operating the social media account. This assertion, according to Afoakwa, makes the conflicting identifications even more problematic, suggesting a fundamental flaw in the investigative process, especially when conducted by the national headquarters of the Police CID, rather than a local or district station.

The lawyer's critique extends beyond mere administrative error, directly challenging the Ghana Police Service CID investigation integrity. Afoakwa expressed profound embarrassment that the national police force appears to lack the intelligence infrastructure necessary to conduct thorough and consistent investigations into digital identities. He emphasized that for the national CID to identify 'Ghana Jollof' first as Alberta Okrah and then as Barbara Asantewaa Kodua underscores a significant weakness in their operational procedures.

Further complicating the matter are unconfirmed reports circulating on social media alleging the death of Barbara Asantewaa Kodua. While Mr. Afoakwa stressed he was not relying on these reports as established fact, he noted that their confirmation would introduce additional layers of doubt and questions regarding the identity attributed to the 'Ghana Jollof' account. This situation exposes potential weaknesses in police investigative procedures regarding digital identities and charge sheet accuracy, raising concerns about the reliability of identification evidence in broader legal contexts.

This case exposes potential weaknesses in police investigative procedures regarding digital identities and charge sheet accuracy. Lawyers representing clients in cases relying on police identification evidence could cite this to challenge the reliability of such evidence or the integrity of the investigative process.

Source: Original reporting via Emma Ankrah