Volta secessionists hire Togolese govt lawyer to represent them at ICC

More dramatic events are beginning to unfold following the brazen attacks by secessionist groups in the North Tongu constituency and surrounding areas in the Volta Region.

Members of the Western Togoland secessionists have employed the services of Togolese lawyer to represent them at the United Nations with the sole objective of helping them to demand their autonomy and independence from Ghana.

Togolese media, Focus Info, reports that Association of Civil and Professional lawyers’ (SCP) Martial Akakpo has agreed to represent the secessionist group.

Independent GhanaWeb checks also reveal that Martial Akakpo also serves as a Togolese government lawyer.

An earlier interaction with a Togolese journalist indicated that there was little, to no interest in the saga involving the secessionist groups as no media outlet or government official had made comments in that regard.

The journalist cited the observation in relation to assertions by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that per the intelligence gathered, persons who were involved in the attacks were not Ghanaians but Togolese.

The attacks, which began on Friday, September 25 appeared to be the first major wave by the group in the region; as members blocked roads, attacked police officers and made away with a cache of weapons and cars.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed on Okay FM that;

“…the people who did it were well trained and when you listen to those at the forefront, they say that the large majority of the attackers, the language and kind of war songs they were singing didn’t sound Ghanaian. With the variation in their version of the Ewe language, at this point, the suspicion is that they are from Togo. That is what many of the police chiefs I have spoken to have briefed me with.”

This recent development, however, may yet confirm the revelation of the member of parliament for the area.

Meanwhile about 31 suspected members of the Western Togoland secessionists are facing trial and have been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court and will remain in custody at the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) for two weeks.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com