In yet another disturbing display of state-sanctioned aggression, Richard Jakpa, the newly appointed Director for Special Operations at the National Security Council Secretariat, led a team of about 20 armed men in a brazen raid on the residence of former Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Ernest Addison, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
The operatives, dressed in balaclavas and face masks, stormed the premises in a manner reminiscent of a criminal gang rather than a lawful security operation.
Upon entering the house, Jakpa immediately removed all CCTV cameras, seemingly intent on ensuring that no evidence of the operation could be captured. In a shocking turn, he reportedly demanded to know the location of a vault filled with money—an accusation that Dr Addison flatly denied.
Despite producing a High Court search warrant, there was no apparent justification for the raid. The operatives ransacked the entire residence, rummaging through personal belongings and ultimately seizing electronic gadgets and other valuables. The aggressive nature of the operation has fuelled suspicions that this was less about law enforcement and more about harassment and intimidation.
This is not the first time Jakpa has led such a controversial operation. He was at the centre of an illegal raid on the residence of Ken Ofori-Atta, the former Minister for Finance. This operation was conducted without a warrant and has since resulted in legal action against the state security apparatus.
The latest incident raises serious concerns about the increasing use of state security agencies as tools of political persecution.This brazen invasion is nothing short of a direct assault on democracy and the fundamental principles of justice. A lawless operation, executed with the backing of state security, signals a dangerous descent into authoritarianism—where force overrides the rule of law and political vendettas are disguised as national security operations.
The reckless weaponisation of national security for political ends is indefensible. It exposes a dangerous belief—that power grants the right to silence critics by any means necessary. No citizen is safe in a country where security agencies operate with impunity, treating political opponents as enemies to be hunted down and subdued.
This raid is a shameless abuse of power and a grim indicator of where this government is headed. Democracy cannot survive in an environment where those who disagree with the ruling elite are subjected to military-style invasions of their homes. Every Ghanaian who believes in justice and the rule of law must speak out against this flagrant abuse before it becomes the new normal.
