Residents and chiefs of Jema in the Kintampo South District of the Bono East Region have appealed for the release on bail of a 40-year-old nurse, Salomey Awiti Baffoe, who has been remanded in connection with the ‘Ghana Jollof’ TikTok case.
The residents describe Baffoe as a responsible member of the community and are calling on the government and First Lady Lordina Mahama to intervene in the matter.
Baffoe was arrested during a midnight operation at her residence in Hansua in the Techiman Municipality on Sunday, September 13.
Her brother, Antwi Francis, alleged that three people, including two men and a woman dressed in black uniforms, arrived at the house around 11:30 p.m. and identified themselves as National Security operatives.
He claimed that the officers did not show an arrest warrant or explain the reason for taking Baffoe away.
According to residents, they initially believed she had been arrested over alleged mobile money fraud and sought legal assistance.
However, they said they were surprised when they went to court and were informed that the case involved allegations connected to the ‘Ghana Jollof’ TikTok account.
The residents insist that Baffoe has no connection with the account or its operator.
Community elder James Kofi Owusu described the nurse as respectful and well-behaved. He appealed to the authorities to grant her bail, assuring them that she would appear whenever required by the court.
The prosecution, however, alleges that Baffoe acted as a liaison for UK-based TikTok user Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as ‘Ghana Jollof’.
It further alleges that she helped distribute videos produced by Kodua by recruiting others to circulate the content on social media.
Baffoe has pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime relating to the alleged publication and circulation of false news under Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The allegations against her are yet to be proven in court.
