81 members of Volta secessionist group arrested in Ho

The Volta Regional Police Command in collaboration with the 66 Artillery Regiment Wednesday arrested 81 members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF), who allegedly intended to demonstrate against the arrest of their leaders.

Leaders of the secessionist body calling for the independence of parts of Volta and Northern Regions were picked up on Sunday, May 5, 2019, for planning to declare parts of the Volta and Northern Regions independent.

Mr Prince Dogbatse, Public Relations Officer of the Volta Regional Police Command, said the 81 persons, including women, were being screened for further investigations.

The Ghana News Agency learnt that some members of the Group had allegedly earlier assembled from across the Volta Region in a house near the 66 Artillery Regiment (Volta Barracks) for supposed final preparation towards the declaration of independence on Thursday, May, 09 when they were arrested.

Togbe Agbodzalo II, Chief of Dorfo, said to be an Executive Committee member of the HSGF, told the Ghana News Agency that preparations and rehearsals for the declaration of independence for the Western Togoland were continuing unabated at a secluded location.

He said by midday of Thursday, May 9, 2019, the territory would have been declared independent with or without their leaders who were arrested last Sunday, May 5, 2019.

A source, close to the Group’s Executive Committee also said they had already written to the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the United Nations, the Peace Council and chiefs, and also invited “external media” to cover the event.

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Meanwhile, the octogenarian and leader of the Ho group, said to be planning to declare independence for the Volta Region, Mr Charles Kormi Kudzodzi, a.k.a. Papavi Hogbedetor, has been granted a Gh¢250,000 bail.

Read also: Suspected secessionists leader Kudzordzi granted bail

He was granted bail with two sureties, one of which is to be justified when he was arraigned at the Accra High Court on Wednesday afternoon.

Graphic Online's court correspondent, Mabel Aku Baneseh reports from the court that the other seven leaders of the group, the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) who were arrested together with Mr Kudzordzi on Sunday have however been refused bail.

They have subsequently been remanded into police custody until May 22, 2019.

The eight accused persons have been charged with conspiracy to commit treason felony, abetment of unlawful training, unlawful assembly and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.

The court was presided over by a three-member panel, Justices Jerome N. Nkrumah, Ekow Baiden and Afua Serwaa Asare Botchwey.

Aku Baneseh reported that Mr Kudzordzi was visibly not happy when he was leaving the court premises after his compatriots were refused bail.