Over 20 suspected Western Togoland separatist recruits busted in Volta Region

Over 20 suspected Western Togoland Separatist recruits have been arrested today, February 17th, 2020 at their training hideout in the Volta Region.
They were arrested at an illegal training camp located at Kpevedue and Fievue, an isolated twin community on the Ghana-Togo border by 40 army personnel, with the support of the police and fire service through a special operation.
The Leader of the group which consisted of 20 males and a female, aged between 20 to 30 and two others escaped when the military raided their camp in the early hours of Monday.
After their arrest, they confessed they were deceived by a certain group of men who took an amount of GH₵800 each from them, promising them of enlistment into the military.
Unfortunately, the ended up at the said location for training without being enrolled into the military.
Meanwhile, they have been brought to Accra for further actions.

Background

Late last year, the police in the Northern Region also arrested 18 persons suspected to be part of the separatist group, Western Togoland.
The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) led by 85-year-old Komi Kudzordzi, announced the separation of the Volta and Oti Regions, as well as part of northern Ghana on Saturday, November 16, after a group meeting was held in Ho.
The group has been campaigning for the secession of some parts of Ghana into an independent ’Western Togoland State’.
Leader of the Separatist movement, Mr. Charles Komi Kudzordzi alias Papavi Hogbedetor while addressing a cheerful group of members of the separatist movement in the native Ewe language, recounted their struggles to restore the independence of the pre-independence Western Togoland territory, a German protectorate which was joined to the then Gold Coast to form the new independent country, Ghana on March 6, 1957 under circumstances he believes were ”illegal”.
Citing the recent omission of roads in the Volta Region from the critical roads list in the 2020 budget, Papa Hogbedetor said,”We’ve all witnessed what happened recently when we (Volta Region) were forgotten by the government in its budget. Can a parent forget about their children? We’re not their children, so they have forgotten about us.”
The Octogenarian leader of the separatist movement then declared the ’Western Togo Land’ independent saying,”from midnight of November 16, 2019, entering into Sunday, November 17, 2019, we’re now Western Togoland state.”
Arrest and bail
17 persons were arrested in connection with an alleged Western Togoland Millita training in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta Region.
The 66 Artillery Regiment based in Ho, the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Ghana Police Service, the Defence Intelligence (DI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service Accra conducted two separate Counter Insurgency Operations (COIN) within the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region to counter activities of the Western Togoland Secessionist.
The Police earlier granted bail to 15 out of the 17 members arrested.
Each of the suspects was granted a police inquiry bail following preliminary investigation and screening.
Over 50 people have so far been arrested in connection with the separatist group.