National Security Coordinator COP Osman Abdul Razak has warned that political vigilantism is increasingly shifting into less visible spaces, including social media platforms and encrypted communication channels.
He said although the visibility of organised vigilante groups has declined since the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), the threat has not been completely eliminated.
Speaking at the Election Watch Ghana dialogue on vigilantism on Tuesday, August 25, COP Osman said some groups were adapting by changing their identities and operating through less formal structures.
“A vigilante group is a vigilante group, regardless of its name, uniform or publicity,” he stressed.
According to him, some groups are now presenting themselves as internal security teams, volunteer task forces or community security initiatives in an attempt to operate outside the traditional image of political vigilante organisations.
He said others had dissolved into loosely organised and less visible networks, making them more difficult for security agencies to identify and monitor.
COP Osman further noted that mobilisation was increasingly taking place through digital platforms and informal communication networks.
“Mobilisation has moved online, on social media, encrypted chats, local disputes, targeted security arrangements, or other informal channels,” he said.
He cautioned that the evolving nature of political vigilantism requires security agencies to adjust their monitoring and enforcement approaches to identify emerging forms of mobilisation.
Limited prosecutions
COP Osman also acknowledged concerns about the limited number of prosecutions under Act 999 and delays in some legal processes.
He, however, rejected suggestions that such delays reflected a lack of commitment by the State to enforce the law.
“Let us know that the law exists, and it shall be enforced fairly without fear or favour,” he said.
He warned that weak, selective or excessively delayed enforcement could undermine the deterrent effect of the legislation and encourage the emergence of new forms of vigilantism.
COP Osman therefore called for the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act to be applied consistently and fairly, stressing the need to prevent evolving forms of political mobilisation from threatening Ghana’s peace, security and democratic stability.
