Armed soldiers, police raid Ken Ofori-Atta’s House

In a shocking and deeply troubling event, armed soldiers, police personnel, and plainclothes security operatives stormed the residence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on the morning of Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
Eyewitnesses recount that despite demands from Mr. Ofori-Atta’s security team for a legal search warrant, the armed operatives forcefully entered the premises, ransacked the house, found nothing, and left.
What is even more alarming is that this lawless action took place when the government knew very well that Ken Ofori-Atta was out of the country seeking medical attention.

Government cannot feign ignorance
Information available to this paper indicates that even before the government handover, Ofori-Atta sought permission from the then Chief of Staff to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Subsequently, upon the transition of government, he wrote to the present Chief of Staff to inform him of his medical condition and his absence from the country.
Given this, the government cannot claim ignorance about his whereabouts.
The decision to storm his house—despite knowing he and his wife were out of the country—without any warrant for arrest or search is nothing short of an illegal act.
This lawless operation, carried out with military backing, signals a disturbing shift towards authoritarian tactics—where brute force replaces due process, and political witch-hunts masquerade as security operations.
This unwarranted and forceful intrusion is not only an attack on an individual but also a direct assault on Ghana’s democracy and the rule of law.

The dangerous precedent of military raids
The use of armed soldiers in what should have been a routine legal process is deeply concerning.
This lawless act, carried out without judicial authorization, is a blatant disregard for the democratic principles that Ghana upholds.

The presence of military personnel in civilian matters is not only excessive but also unconstitutional. Soldiers are trained for national defense and external threats, not for conducting home raids on civilians.
Deploying military force for what appears to be a politically motivated operation raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to democratic governance and civil liberties.

The role of due process in a democracy
Democracies are built on the foundation of the rule of law, which demands that any search or seizure of private property be conducted legally and transparently.
The appropriate process requires law enforcement agencies to secure a search warrant from a court before entering a person’s home.
A search warrant is issued based on probable cause, ensuring that citizens’ rights are protected from arbitrary state aggression.
Bypassing this essential process not only violates the legal rights of the individual involved but also sets a dangerous precedent where the government can arbitrarily harass political opponents without accountability.
If such practices are left unchecked, no citizen will be safe from the overreach of state power.

A govt’s hypocrisy in the use of force
This incident is particularly troubling given the current administration’s past opposition to the use of military force in political affairs.
When in opposition, the same government officials decried military intimidation and called for the protection of civil liberties.
Now in power, they have adopted the very tactics they once condemned.
This hypocrisy erodes public trust in leadership and undermines the democratic values that Ghana has worked hard to uphold.
A democracy does not operate on intimidation and brute force; it thrives on respect for institutions, due process, and the rule of law.
The reckless deployment of military personnel in civilian affairs signals a shift towards authoritarianism, where dissent is met with coercion rather than dialogue.

A Call to Action for Democracy-Loving Ghanaians
The raid on Ken Ofori-Atta’s residence should serve as a wake-up call for every Ghanaian who values democracy and civil rights.

Today, it is a former government official; tomorrow, it could be any ordinary citizen subjected to the same unlawful treatment. The time to speak out against this abuse of power is now before such acts become normalized in our political landscape.

We call on civil society organizations, legal bodies, and all concerned citizens to demand accountability from the government and ensure that such blatant violations of human rights do not continue.

The use of soldiers in civilian matters must cease immediately, and those responsible for this unlawful raid must be held accountable.

Ghana has long been recognized as a beacon of democracy in Africa. However, democracy cannot flourish in an environment where government critics are targeted and harassed under the guise of security operations.

The time to defend Ghana’s democratic institutions is now.