Terror statement not for public consumption - GIS

Europa 10:48 - 14 April 2016

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A security alert sent to all Ghana's security agencies dated April 9 2016, and seen by Pulse.com.gh said “Intelligence gathered by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), indicates a possible terrorist attack on the country is real.”

The Ghana Immigration Service has expressed dissatisfaction with the latest terror alert statement indicating potential attacks on Ghana by terrorists was not intended for the public.

According to the public relations officer of the GIS Francis Palmdeti, the alert was leaked and not meant for public consumption.

Ghana and Togo are the next targets after the attacks in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, the report said.

The choice of Ghana is to take away the perception that only francophone countries are targeted.

The Ivorian security agencies investigating the attack on the Grand Bassam, gathered that the terrorists “mode of entry into countries with their explosives and weapons is through concealment.”

“They enter through approved and unapproved entry points. In the Ivorian attacks they reportedly entered from Mali using Niger registered 4×4 vehicle. They reportedly concealed their weapons and grenade in the vehicles compartment for a spare tyre, padded with cushions and bubbled wraps to keep them stable and prevent noise," the statement added.

But, responding to the statement, Mr. Palmdeti said the way the media handled the document was rather unfortunate.

"What I can tell you is that we usually send internal memos to our various controls as and when the need arises. And if it is a memo it means it is an internal documentation meant for officers or therefore meant for a particular people and therefore it is not a document meant for public consumption. With this particular document, I'm unable to confirm or deny the content of it. What I would say is that we take terrorist activities very seriously as a body...and so regularly memos are sent out to our controls to be vigilant," he told Accra-based Citi FM.

Mr. Palmdeti however assured the public as his outfit is working hand in hand with other security agencies, with border patrol personnel doing 27 patrols.

The terror alert statement also asked all security agencies to treat the instructions as important calling for thorough profiling of all people coming from high risk countries, including Mali, Libya and Niger.

Mr. Palmdeti was however quick to add that "Our duty is to ensure that anybody coming to this country is a person who is liable as it where, so we are not limiting our vigilance towards a particular group of nationals."