Vigilante groups evolving beyond Act 999; security agencies must adapt – Security analyst

Victor Doke has called for a proactive response from Ghana’s security agencies to the changing tactics of political vigilante groups, following a warning by National Security Coordinator COP Osman Abdul Razak that such groups are increasingly moving their activities into less visible spaces. COP Osman recently cautioned that political vigilante mobilisation is shifting to social media platforms, encrypted communication channels and other informal networks. Speaking at the Election Watch Ghana dialogue on vigilantism on Tuesday, August 25, he said although the visibility of organised vigilante groups had declined since the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), the threat remained.

He noted that some groups were changing their identities and operating under labels such as internal security teams, volunteer task forces and community security initiatives. Reacting to the warning on Joy FM’s Midday News on Wednesday, August 26, Dr Doke said the development underscores the need for security agencies to remain ahead of the evolving threat. He said vigilante groups had become more sophisticated in their operations following the passage of Act 999, forcing them to move away from overt mobilisation.

“These vigilante groups have evolved. People are becoming smarter by the day, and because of the Act which was passed in a good direction to curb this kind of menace, they are not openly operating. That doesn’t mean that the threat is non-existent,” he said.

Doke disclosed that he had recently come across a video in which a group of young people were allegedly sworn into allegiance to a political party ahead of the 2028 elections. He said such developments demonstrated that political vigilantism remained a potential threat despite the legal restrictions. The security analyst also urged authorities to consider reviewing Act 999 to reflect emerging methods of mobilisation, particularly through technology and social media.

“Do we need to include all these aspects of social media, technology, cyber aspects in it? We need to do so because the dynamics keep on changing, and if we do not, then the men will be taken by surprise,” he said. Doke further acknowledged the intelligence-gathering capabilities of Ghana’s security agencies, saying they have informants and other systems capable of monitoring activities linked to …

Victor Doke is calling for a review of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), arguing that the changing nature of political vigilante mobilisation requires the law to be updated to address emerging threats. His call follows a warning by National Security Coordinator COP Osman Abdul Razak that political vigilante groups are increasingly moving their activities into less visible spaces, including social media platforms, encrypted communication channels and informal networks. Speaking at the Election Watch Ghana dialogue on vigilantism, COP Osman said the visibility of organised vigilante groups had declined since the passage of Act 999, but the threat itself had not been eliminated.