Over 300 arrested over extremist recruitment attempts along northern border – Agalga

Security agencies in Ghana recorded more than 300 arrests linked to alleged extremist recruitment attempts along the country’s northern border between 2023 and 2025, Majority Leader James Agalga has disclosed. The arrests were part of measures by the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies to prevent extremist groups operating in the sub-region from recruiting people in Ghana. During the same period, the agencies also recorded 47 cross-border incursions, reflecting the security challenges confronting the country’s northern frontier.

Mr Agalga said Ghana’s relative stability should not lead to complacency, particularly given the country’s geographical position and proximity to states affected by violent extremism. He called for stronger border security and intelligence-gathering mechanisms to prevent extremist networks from gaining a foothold in the country. “In Ghana, we have remained relatively stable, but we are not insulated.

The Ghana Armed Forces and security agencies recorded 47 cross-border incursions and over 300 arrests linked to extremist recruitment attempts along our northern border between 2023 and 2025,” he said. Mr Agalga, who also chairs Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, disclosed the figures at the 9th REPAM-CDS Security Governance Conference, where he urged the country to strengthen its security and governance systems to deal with emerging threats. He further cited a 12.3 percent increase in cybercrime and fraud cases recorded in 2024 as evidence of the changing security landscape.

“At the same time, our 2024 crime statistics show a 12.3 percent increase in cybercrime and fraud cases, highlighting the shift to non-traditional threats. These data points tell us one thing, threats are transnational, asymmetric and they test the very governance structures we are mandated to oversee,” he said. Ghana’s relative peace in a region facing growing violent extremism should not create a false sense of security, Majority Leader James Agalga has warned, calling for stronger measures to protect the country’s borders.

Mr Agalga said Ghana’s location and proximity to countries affected by extremist violence exposed the country to transnational security threats that required increased vigilance, intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies. He disclosed that the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies recorded 47 cross-border incursions between 2023 and 2025, while more than 300 people were arrested over alleged attempts to recruit individuals into extremist groups along the country’s northern border. Mr Agalga, who chairs Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, made the disclosure at the 9th REPAM-CDS Security Governance Conference, where he stressed the need for Ghana to strengthen its security and governance systems to respond to emerging threats.

He also pointed to the increasing incidence of cybercrime and fraud as evidence that the country’s security challenges are no longer limited to conventional threats.