Social media personality Albert Nat Hyde, widely known as Bongo Ideas, has expressed a profound sense of disorientation and purposelessness following his recent alleged abduction by individuals he believes to be officers of the Ghana Police Service.
In a recent post dated July 19, 2024, Bongo Ideas raised serious concerns about his safety and the security of his personal information. He detailed the impact of the incident on his life, stating:
“At the time of my kidnapping, I was making approximately $3000 every three months from 1XBET, and the two-year contract [2022-2024] we had was almost going to be extended. After my items were illegally confiscated by my abductors, and my Twitter @BongoIdeas logins forcibly changed, I have lost all that and more.”
Bongo Ideas further elaborated on his financial losses, explaining how he had provided similar opportunities to several influencers on various social media platforms, helping them earn significant amounts without taking any commissions himself.
“I was working with brands, had ongoing contracts with deadlines to meet, and several thousands of cedis to be collected, which never came to me. Today, I am at loose ends. My Gmail, iCloud, iPhone, MacBook, and other vital documents remain under lock and key by people I do not know—supposedly state-sponsored machinery!”
Bongo Ideas lamented the broader implications of his situation, highlighting the lack of opportunities for youth in Ghana and the risks to his safety and security.
He voiced his frustration with the current state of the country, describing how his outspoken nature had been stifled:
“My voice, which was the voice of several thousands of teeming yet disgruntled Ghanaians, has been radically silenced. In the face of bad leadership which has left many citizens impoverished, we can’t speak! Ghana, which touts itself as the epicenter of democracy on the continent, now has the majority of its citizens cowered into perpetual muteness. We are neither citizens nor spectators; we are just not involved!”
He drew comparisons to other outspoken critics of the government, such as Kevin Taylor and Twene Jonas, who he claimed are unable to visit Ghana due to fear of retribution. Bongo Ideas expressed his disillusionment with the state of affairs in the country, questioning whether this was the Ghana they wanted to live in.
“As Napoleon Bonaparte said, ‘The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of the bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.'”
Background
The details of Albert Nat Hyde’s alleged arrest, known as Bongo Ideas, which is said to have happened in two incidents, emerged in March this year.
Reports indicate that Bongo Ideas was detained by security agencies. Oliver Barker-Vormawor, convener of Fix The Country, suggested that his arrest was linked to recent information released by Bongo Ideas regarding President Akufo-Addo and First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Barker-Vormawor claimed that Bongo Ideas’ family searched various police stations in Accra but could not locate him. Subsequent reports indicated that Bongo Ideas had returned home.
On March 16, Barker-Vormawor disclosed that Bongo Ideas had been arrested for the second time.
In a Facebook post, he outlined the alleged circumstances of the police’s apprehension of the controversial socialite, stating that over 10 individuals in two vehicles and motorbikes, who claimed to have been sent by the IGP, came to pick up Bongo Ideas.