Ghana’s National Security apparatus has faced blistering criticism from a prominent election watchdog for failing to intercept the public launch of a new 42-member political security force, amid warnings the oversight could invite “lawlessness and terror” ahead of upcoming elections.
Mark Ewusi Arkoh, Convener of Election Watch Ghana (EWG), expressed profound shock that state intelligence agencies allowed “The Lions of NPP” to formally establish themselves in the Upper East Region.
The group’s public launch in Bawku—an area already gripped by deep-seated local security challenges—has raised fears that its presence could severely exacerbate regional instability.
The watchdog group has submitted an urgent petition to the National Security Coordinator demanding an immediate investigation.
Dated 8 July 2026, the petition outlines how the group’s creation and stated activities constitute a flagrant violation of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, which Parliament passed in 2019 to completely outlaw political militias.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem.on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr Arkoh condemned the state’s passive approach, suggesting that national security operatives were effectively “sleeping” on a mounting national security threat.
He argued that robust intelligence gathering should have shut down the launch before it even began, especially given the group’s bold public declaration that it intends to expand nationwide to “help the police” handle election security.
The geographical context of the launch has heightened anxieties.
The Upper East Region is highly security-sensitive, burdened by its proximity to international borders and a vulnerability to cross-border terrorism.
Allowing a partisan security wing to operate in such a volatile corridor undermines the state’s monopoly on the use of force, he noted.
“What they have done creates an atmosphere of fear and panic, and it poses a direct national security threat,” he added. “Crucially, they launched this group in Bawku—an area already grappling with acute security challenges. Incidents like this risk severely worsening the local crisis.”
Mr Arkoh warned that ignoring the emergence of such groups creates an atmosphere of fear and panic that will inevitably disrupt the peace of the 2028 general elections.
He called on state authorities to decisively disband the group, arrest its leadership, and initiate prosecutions under Act 999.
He also expressed surprise at the silence of the Ghana Police Service, urging both law enforcement and the broader national security architecture to wake up to the danger before the situation degenerates further.
”If we fail to deal with this group decisively now, the situation will degenerate into lawlessness, terrorising citizens during the general elections,” Mr Arkoh warned. “I am profoundly surprised that National Security appears to be sleeping on this matter. Had they been awake, they would have gathered the necessary intelligence to prevent this ceremony from happening.”
”The leaders of this group must be arrested and prosecuted,” Mr Arkoh said. “We are calling directly on National Security to intervene, and it is deeply concerning that the Ghana Police Service has yet to react to the issue.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana