In an alarming display of state-sanctioned intimidation, armed military men, police personnel, and plainclothes security operatives stormed the residence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on the morning of Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
This brazen attack is nothing short of an assault on democracy and the rule of law.
Eyewitnesses report that despite demands from Mr Ofori-Atta’s on-site security team for a warrant, the armed personnel forcefully broke into the house, ransacked the premises, searched every corner, found nothing, and left.
This lawless operation carried out with military backing, signals a disturbing shift towards authoritarian tactics—where brute force replaces due process and political witch-hunts masquerade as security operations.
For such an incident to occur under a government that once vehemently campaigned against the use of military forces for political purposes is the height of hypocrisy.
The very leaders who alleged military intimidation in opposition are now wielding state power in the same reckless manner. This is not governance; it is a hostile takeover, reminiscent of regimes that thrive on suppression and fear.
The reckless deployment of armed soldiers for what is a political witch-hunt is indefensible. It exposes a dangerous mindset—one that sees power as an entitlement and opposition figures as enemies to be harassed into submission.
No citizen will be safe from arbitrary state aggression if this lawlessness continues.
This raid, carried out in broad daylight, is a disgraceful abuse of power and a warning sign of the path this government is willing to take. Democracy does not thrive in an environment where political opponents are hunted down under the cover of night—or, in this case, in the full glare of the morning. It is time for every democracy-loving Ghanaian to condemn this flagrant violation of rights before it becomes the norm.
What is more shocking is that, this lawless action took place when the government knew very well that Ken Ofori-Atta was out of the country seeking medical attention.
It is important to note that even before the handover, he sought permission from the then Chief of Staff to travel outside the country for medical attention.
Subsequently, upon the handover of government, he wrote to the present Chief of Staff and informed him that he was outside the country on medical grounds.
Accordingly, the government can not feign ignorance about his whereabouts and so for them to storm his house when they knew very well that he and his wife were out of the country without any warrants for arrest or search smacks of nothing more than an illegal act.