The Director General of the Ghana Police Service, Lydia Yarkor Donkor, has addressed a press briefing on September 18.
The focus of her address was on the activities of a TikToker named Barbara Asantewaa Kodua @ Ghana Jollof.
Read full statement below:
PRESS BRIEFING BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL/CID, COP/MS LYDIA YAAKO DONKOR ON FRIDAY, 18TH SEPTEMBER, 2026 AT THE CID HEADQUARTERS, ACCRA
1. The Deputy Director-General/CID, Senior officers, ladies and gentlemen of the media, good afternoon and a warm welcome to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department for this afternoon’s press briefing.
2. The briefing today is to provide you with an update on ongoing police investigations into incidents of Publication of False News, Inciteful Comments and Offensive Conduct involving suspect Barbara Asantewaa Kodua @ Ghana Jollof and the arrest of Salomey Awiti Bafoh, who is currently in police custody following a remand by the court.
3. As part of continuous efforts to clamp down on illicit online activities, the Ghana Police Service has for some time now observed a TikTok account under the name Ghana Jollof which has been used to issue offensive and inciteful comments as well as to publish false news which is likely to cause fear and alarm.
4. Police intelligence revealed the identity of the account owner to be Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, believed to be domiciled in the United Kingdom. Over a period of time, Barbara Asantewaa Kodua has used her social-media platform to produce and publish videos containing offensive and inciteful statements with the potential to provoke violence. In one of the videos under investigation, the suspect, Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, falsely made the claim that there was a near coup d´état in the Jubilee House, amongst other things.
5.Investigation identified Salomey Awiti Bafoh a nurse residing at Techiman as an individual aiding and abetting Barbara Asantewaa Kodua @ Ghana Jollof. Investigations have so far established that Salomey Awiti Bafoh assisted in the dissemination of the videos produced by Barbara Asantewaa Kodua by recruiting other persons to redistribute and circulate the material through various social media platforms.
6. Further investigations have proven through the examination of her and the contents that the two have been friends. Similarly, the police are also in possession of audio interviews admitting the relationship between the two.
7. 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 Awiti; who in turn shares them with Ghana Jollof.
8.It will interest you to know that the police also know all those, including high-profile persons within society, who are funding them through information retrieved from their phones. Forensic analysis of voices and other details of thorough investigations of her abetting the various acts have been retrieved from her records, and transcripts made of them will be tendered in evidence in court.
9. Investigations further revealed financial arrangements between the two accused persons whereby Barbara Asantewaa Kodua while domiciled in the United Kingdom, remitted monies to Salomey Awiti Bafoh in Ghana in support of these activities. Salomey Awiti Bafoh subsequently distributed portions of those funds to other persons involved in the redistribution and recirculation of videos produced by Barbara Asantewaa Kodua through various social-media platforms. It has also been established that some persons have consistently sponsored the illicit online activities of Barbara Asantewaa Kodua financially.
10. Through the collaborative efforts of the National Signals Bureau and the Ghana Police Service, Salomey Awiti Bafoh was arrested on 17/09/2026; she was put before the court on the charge of Abetment of Crime to wit: Publication of False News. She was remanded into Police custody to assist the investigation and reappear on 30/09/2026.
11. Investigations are continuing to identify and locate other persons who participated in the redistribution of the videos as well as the secret financial sponsors to be brought to book.
12. Before I conclude, please let us all be reminded that any acts, conduct and publications that are contrary to the provisions of the Electronic Transaction Act, 2008 (Act 772) and the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) become criminal offences and will be treated as such. I therefore wish to entreat all of us to be guided in our public discourse, especially in our online engagement, to ensure safe online spaces for all.
13. The Ghana Police Service will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders, including the general public, to maintain security, law and order in communities across the country as well as online.
14. We would also like to assure you that this is part of the transparency and accountability we consistently promised the people of Ghana in updating you on cases under investigation.
Thank you for your attention.
