Executive Director for Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, Adib Saani, has urged Ghana’s security apparatus to look into possibilities of terrorist and jihadist groups in the West African sub-region raising funds in Ghana.
According to him, there is a high possibility that the terrorist groups are already engaging in illegal mining activities (galamsey) as well as the sale of cattle in the northern parts of Ghana to raise funds to finance their activities.
In an interview with GhanaWeb, Adib, a security analyst, added that the re-arrest of a prominent Fulani Imam, Sheikh Dukere, who was reported to be the emergency contact of five terrorists killed in Burkina Faso, indicates that there might be terrorists who have passed through Ghana or are currently living in the country.
“His (Sheikh Dukere’s) arrest is significant because it tells us a lot about the presence of alleged militants in Ghana. The probability that they are in Ghana is extremely high.
“The possibility that there is a sleeper cell in Ghana recruiting Ghanaians is also very high. And the possibility that they are organizing or planning something against our interest in Ghana is very high.
“And we also need to look at the sale of cattle. It is a potentially huge source of income for militants. The terrorists bring in cattle which they steal from neighbouring countries and export to Ghana to be sold by their agents, who then send back the monies realised to these militants.
“We also need to look at the gold mines, especially in the north. It is a source of revenue for these terrorist groups. The possibility that terrorists have infiltrated the mining sites is very high,” he said.
According to a Joy News report, Sheikh Osman Dukere was arrested for the second time in Ghana by National Security, together with 12 of his followers on Saturday, October 1, 2022.
Although the reason for his arrest has not been disclosed, the Imam was arrested in 2019 with 20 of his disciples when he was accused of having links with a jihadist group in Burkina Faso.
The first arrest was made after the security operatives in Burkina Faso informed the National Security of Ghana that Imam Dukuri was the emergency contact of 5 jihadists it had killed in a gunfight.