Imam, pastor in handcuffs as police investigate inciteful comments on Prophet Mohammed
Accra: The Ghana Police Service has arrested an imam and a pastor over separate videos in which they allegedly made inciteful and offensive remarks concerning Prophet Mohammed.
The suspects are Imam Masud Abdullah and Daniel Junior Yaw Adjei, also known as Apostle Daniel JY Adjei.
According to the police, Imam Abdullah was arrested in connection with a video in which he allegedly advocated violence against individuals who spoke ill of Prophet Mohammed.
He is said to have made the remarks while delivering a sermon at a mosque at Ntensere in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District of the Ashanti Region.
The arrest was made in collaboration with the National Signals Bureau (NSB) following the circulation of the video on social media.
In the second case, the police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team arrested Mr Adjei after he was allegedly captured in a separate video making derogatory and offensive comments about Prophet Mohammed.
The police said the arrests formed part of efforts to deal with statements that could incite violence or threaten public order.
The development follows public condemnation of Imam Abdullah’s alleged remarks, which reportedly suggested that killing anyone who insulted or described Prophet Mohammed as a false prophet was not a sin and could earn the perpetrator a place in heaven.
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, also condemned the alleged call for violence after the comments came to his attention.
Police warning
The police cautioned religious leaders, preachers, community leaders and social media commentators against using freedom of religion or expression as a justification for inciting violence.
“The Ghana Police Service takes this opportunity to remind the public, particularly religious leaders, preachers, community leaders, and social media commentators, that freedom of religion and freedom of expression must never be used as justification for inciting violence or encouraging members of the public to harm others,” it said.
The service said such utterances constituted infractions and warned that perpetrators would be arrested to face the full rigours of the law.
It urged people with influence in religious and online spaces to exercise responsibility in their public commentary, particularly where their statements could encourage others to harm members of the public.
The police said investigations into the two cases were ongoing and that both suspects would go through due process of the law.
It did not disclose the specific charges to be preferred against the suspects.
The police stressed that the allegations remained subject to investigation and the suspects would be accorded due process under the law.
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