Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno has urged Christian and Muslim leaders across Ghana to use their moral authority to calm growing religious tensions, warning that provocative speech, vigilante retaliation and violence could threaten the country’s long-standing peace.
Speaking at an engagement with the Police Management Board (POMAB) and religious leaders on Friday, August 14, Mr Yohuno said Ghana was experiencing a “profound tension” as religious disputes intensified on traditional and digital media platforms.
He said recent incidents, including provocative comments about the Holy Prophet Muhammad, calls for extrajudicial violence and the assault of a handcuffed Christian cleric, had tested Ghana’s commitment to tolerance and the rule of law.
“We gather in a moment of profound tension, a moment where the foundational peace of our beloved republic is being severely tested,” the IGP said.
Mr Yohuno said the police had investigated the incidents and arrested three suspects: an Islamic cleric accused of calling for extrajudicial killings, a Christian cleric accused of making allegedly blasphemous statements, and a person captured on video allegedly slapping a handcuffed pastor.
He said all three were on bail while investigations continued.
“The police have acted proactively and set the wheels of justice in motion,” he said.
However, he stressed that policing alone could not address the deeper tensions.
“Police action alone cannot heal a fractured spirit,” he said. “Law enforcement can restrain hands, but only faith, leadership and conscience can heal hearts.”
He urged citizens to report alleged offences to the authorities instead of seeking revenge.
“Violence will not fix what words have broken,” he said, adding that “vigilante retribution will never replace the rule of law in Ghana.”
“No civilised society can survive when individuals take the law into their own hands,” he said.
Mr Yohuno appealed to Muslims to respond to provocation with restraint and drew on Islamic teachings about wisdom, peace and forgiveness.
He also urged Christians to avoid speech that deliberately provokes religious sensitivities, citing biblical teachings on peace and gracious speech.
“To call for the summary execution of a fellow citizen or to assault a handcuffed suspect does not honour the dignity of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him,” he said.
“True Christian witness is found in love, peace and patience,” he said.
The IGP called on Christian and Muslim leaders to demonstrate unity through joint statements, public engagements and collective outreach, particularly to young people exposed to inflammatory content online.
“At this fragile moment, your words can either act as water upon an emerging fire or as petrol upon dying embers,” he told the religious leaders.
He urged Ghanaians not to take the country’s peace for granted, reminding them that generations before them chose dialogue and coexistence over conflict.
“Ghana has been spared this tragedy, not because we are immune to disagreement, but because generations before us chose to dialogue over destruction and brotherhood over war,” he said.
