The Ghana Police Service says its investigation into the TikTok account Ghana Jollof has uncovered financial transactions involving “highly influential” and “high-profile” individuals who allegedly provided funds to support the account’s activities, in a case that has ignited intense debate over free speech, online regulation, and the limits of state power in Ghana’s digital space.
Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, disclosed the findings on Friday, September 18, 2026, at a press briefing at the CID Headquarters in Accra, providing the most detailed account yet of an investigation that has gripped the nation since the dramatic midnight arrest of a senior nursing officer in Techiman.
Forensic Trail Leads to Influential Sponsors
According to COP Donkor, forensic examination of mobile devices and mobile money transaction records enabled investigators to trace significant financial transfers to Salomey Awity Baffoe, a 40-year-old Senior Nursing Officer whom police accuse of aiding the person behind the Ghana Jollof account.
“Forensic examination of audio and video files on the mobile devices in custody, as well as mobile money transaction records, indicates that highly influential persons in society have transferred significant sums of money to the suspect Salomey Awity Baffoe, who in turn shares them with Ghana Jollof,” she said.
The CID director-general said the police had also identified individuals considered high-profile who allegedly provided financial support for the account’s activities. “It will interest you to know that the police also know all those, including high-profile persons within our society, who are funding them through information retrieved from her phones,” she stated.
COP Donkor said investigations had also uncovered financial arrangements between Baffoe and Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, whom the police identify as the person behind the Ghana Jollof account and who is believed to be in the United Kingdom. Police allege that Kodua transferred money to Baffoe in Ghana to support the activities, after which Baffoe allegedly distributed portions of the funds to other individuals involved in redistributing the videos across various social media platforms.
“It has also been established that some persons have consistently sponsored the illicit online activities of Barbara Asantewaa Kodua financially,” COP Donkor said.
She said forensic analysis of voices, audio and video files, call records and mobile money transactions would be presented as evidence in court. “Forensic analysis of voices and other details of thorough investigations of her abetting the various acts have been retrieved from her phone records and transcripts made of them, all of which will be tendered in evidence in court”.
The Alleged Coup Claim at the Heart of the Case
The investigation centres on content published by the Ghana Jollof TikTok account, which police say has been used over an extended period to publish offensive, inciting, and false information capable of causing fear and alarm.
COP Donkor cited one video under investigation in which Kodua allegedly claimed that there had been a near-coup at the Jubilee House. According to police, the video claimed that actions by the President angered some soldiers who attempted to overthrow him, and that CCTV footage of the alleged coup attempt existed but was being hidden by the government.
Police have accused the Ghana Jollof account of publishing what they describe as false, repulsive and inciteful content. The account, which has amassed nearly 160,000 followers on TikTok, is known for its sharp verbal attacks on President John Dramani Mahama, First Lady Mrs Lordina Mahama, and prominent members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and has featured a profile picture of an opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2028 campaign poster.
The police have since declared Kodua, a 40-year-old woman believed to be domiciled in the United Kingdom, wanted over alleged incitement to violence. She was reportedly last seen at Accra International Airport on August 4, 2026.
Arrest and Court Proceedings
Baffoe, a mother of three from Hansua in the Techiman Municipality of the Bono East Region, was arrested on September 13, 2026, in a midnight operation. Reports indicate that three individuals who identified themselves as National Security operatives arrived at her residence at approximately 11:30 p.m. and took her away. Her family subsequently faced difficulties determining her whereabouts, and at the time, the Bono East Regional Police Command and Regional National Security officials were reportedly unable to confirm knowledge of the operation.
The arrest was carried out through a collaborative operation involving the Ghana Police Service and the National Signals Bureau, Ghana’s signals intelligence agency established to provide integrated secure signal systems for national security and intelligence agencies.
Baffoe was subsequently put before the Adenta Circuit Court 1 on a charge of abetment of crime, to wit, publication of false news, contrary to sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). She has pleaded not guilty. The court remanded her for two weeks, with the case expected to return on September 30, 2026.
The prosecution alleges that on or before September 13, 2026, Baffoe aided or abetted Kodua to publish and circulate false news on TikTok by acting as her liaison. Police further allege that Kodua produced videos containing “offensive and inciting statements” capable of provoking violence, including alleged threats to overthrow the government and burn Ghana. According to the police brief, Baffoe allegedly worked with Kodua, recruited people to redistribute the videos, received money from her, and shared portions of the funds with others involved in circulating the content.
Police say further investigations have proven, through the examination of Baffoe’s phone and its contents, that the two women have been friends. “Similarly, the police are also in possession of audio interviews admitting the relationship between the two,” COP Donkor said.
Legal Debate Intensifies
The investigation has generated significant public and legal debate over Baffoe’s arrest and continued detention. Legal scholar Professor Kwaku Asare has questioned whether the amended charge sheet and police brief facts clearly establish how Baffoe allegedly facilitated the specific offence with which she has been charged.
“Offensive, inciting, threatening and false do not mean the same thing in law,” Prof Asare wrote in a Facebook post on September 17. He argued that an alleged threat to overthrow a government or burn a country does not, by itself, establish the publication of a false statement, rumour, or report under Section 208. “A threat to do something in the future is not, without more, a false statement, rumour or report”.
Prof Asare also raised questions about the prosecution’s allegation that Baffoe acted as a “liaison” for Kodua. He said the State would have to demonstrate that Baffoe intentionally assisted, encouraged, or facilitated the commission of the specific offence she is accused of abetting. Among the questions he raised were whether the prosecution had identified the exact statement said to be false, explained why it was false, and shown what Baffoe knew or had reason to believe about its alleged falsity.
“‘Serving as liaison’ could amount to abetment if it involved purposeful assistance in publishing identified false news,” Prof Asare said. “But ‘liaison’ merely describes a relationship unless the prosecution identifies the acts performed and their criminal purpose”.
Baffoe’s lawyer, Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has also questioned the basis for her continued remand, arguing that police had told the court that the person behind the Ghana Jollof account was in the United Kingdom. “Because you want to arrest Ghana Jollof, you have remanded her for two weeks. Meanwhile, you told the court that Ghana Jollof is in the UK,” he said.
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu also questioned the necessity of keeping Baffoe in custody. “Based on my experience as a lawyer, from what I read, I don’t think this woman should be in custody,” he said, explaining that investigators could simply seize and examine her phone without keeping her in detention. “Her phones are what you need. You don’t need a person in custody”.
Political Fallout
The case has drawn sharp political reactions. New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia criticised the arrest and remand of Baffoe, raising concerns about free speech. The NPP has demanded her immediate release, with Deputy General Secretary Haruna Mohammed calling for her discharge, and Greater Accra Regional Chairman Dr Okoe Boye threatening that party members would “sleep at the police station” if she was not released within 24 hours.
Former classmates of Baffoe have also demanded her release, describing her as someone who “kept to herself, focused on her studies, and helped others without being asked”. Residents and chiefs of Jema have staged protests over her detention. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has held special prayers for the detained nurse.
On the other side, Minister of State for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the government could tolerate criticism and insults directed at President Mahama but would not accept incendiary language. “We can live with insults, but not incendiary language,” he stated.
Broader Implications
COP Donkor warned that online publications or conduct that contravene the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772) and the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) could constitute criminal offences. Section 123 of Act 772 prohibits the publication of false news using electronic systems, while Section 208(1) of Act 29 criminalises the publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic.
She urged Ghanaians to exercise caution in their online engagements and said the Police Service would continue to provide updates on the investigation. Investigators have also identified other individuals allegedly involved in redistributing the videos and are working to locate them, alongside the alleged financial sponsors.
The case has prompted broader debate about the adequacy of Ghana’s legal framework for regulating online content. Some legal analysts have argued that the false publication provisions in both the Electronic Transactions Act and the Criminal Offences Act lack clarity, while others have raised concerns that their enforcement could chill legitimate political speech.
As the investigation continues, the coming weeks are likely to bring further revelations from the forensic examination of phones, financial records, and other digital evidence — and with them, heightened scrutiny of the powerful figures alleged to have bankrolled one of Ghana’s most controversial social media accounts.
