Scores of supporters and sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, on Monday converged at the headquarters of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra to demand the immediate release of the party’s National Communications Director aspirant, Dennis Miracles Aboagye.
The protesters, many of whom arrived on motorbikes, occupied sections of the road leading to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, causing significant traffic disruption and drawing a heavy security presence to the area. Chanting party slogans and carrying placards, the demonstrators called on EOCO to either release Aboagye or formally charge him and present him before a court in accordance with the law.
The protest follows Aboagye’s reported arrest by EOCO officers at Kotoka International Airport on Sunday. According to the NPP, he was taken into custody with the assistance of immigration officials shortly after announcing his intention to contest the party’s National Communications Director position.
Party officials have maintained that Aboagye has been detained without any formal charges being communicated to him or his legal representatives. They have also alleged that his lawyers were initially denied access to him and that his whereabouts were not immediately disclosed after his arrest.
At the EOCO premises, supporters expressed anger over what they described as an infringement of Aboagye’s constitutional rights. They insisted that due process must be followed and urged the investigative body to act transparently in handling the matter.
Reacting to the standoff at EOCO, Salam Mustapha, the national youth organizer for the NPP expressed utmost displeasure in the procedures. “This is perversion of the highest order I have seen, the most intolerant government this country has ever produced. They will not allow any access to him, they will not talk to anybody, they have no respect for anybody. They don’t tell you why they are arresting you, they just come and pick you and take you away. That is the Ghana in which we live today.” Mustapha said in an engagement with the media.
The gathering created congestion along the busy stretch leading to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, with motorists experiencing delays as police officers monitored the situation and managed vehicular movement to prevent further disruption.
The NPP has consistently argued that the arrest raises concerns about the use of state investigative institutions against political opponents and has called for strict adherence to the rule of law. The party has maintained that if there is sufficient evidence against Aboagye, he should be formally charged and granted the opportunity to defend himself before a competent court of jurisdiction.
Meanwhile EOCO had still not publicly disclosed the specific reasons for Aboagye’s arrest or announced any formal charges against him at the time of this report. Security personnel remained deployed at the agency’s premises as supporters continued to demand his immediate release while the standoff remained peaceful.
By: Joyce Owusu
Howwdey.com reporter
