Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has called for stronger enforcement of Ghana’s laws against political vigilantism, arguing that the major challenge confronting the country is not the absence of laws but the failure to identify, investigate and prosecute people involved in criminal activities.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in Accra, Richard Kumadoe said, according to the National Security, some former vigilante groups have rebranded themselves and are now operating in different sectors of society.
He explained that some former vigilante operatives have joined private security companies, while others have travelled outside the country. Some, he said, are now working as bodyguards for celebrities, while others have entered different businesses.
Mr Kumadoe noted that some former vigilantes have also moved into illegal mining activities and may be providing security cover for galamsey operations.
According to him, the change in the way these individuals operate creates a new challenge for security agencies because they can no longer be identified simply as members of organised vigilante groups.
He said if the concern is that vigilante groups could be used to disrupt elections, security agencies must understand that violence can also be organised by individuals who do not openly belong to any known vigilante group.
Richard Kumadoe explained that during elections, there could be people who are not publicly identified with any political vigilante organisation but can still be mobilised to cause problems.
He said such individuals may be brought in to cause a particular problem and immediately disappear, making it difficult for security agencies to identify them as a group.
He therefore cautioned that security agencies should not only concentrate on looking for organised groups but must also pay attention to individual actions and investigate people who cross the law.
Asked how the emerging threat could be tackled, Mr Kumadoe said authorities must identify the people involved, investigate their activities and prosecute them when they commit offences.
He stressed that prosecution is critical to dealing with the problem.
“If you don’t prosecute, you go nowhere,” he said.
Mr Kumadoe argued that the fact that former vigilante members have changed their mode of operation does not mean the state has lost the capacity to deal with them.
According to him, authorities should not conclude that because some former vigilantes are now working with private security companies, acting as bodyguards or engaging in other businesses, there is nothing that can be done.
He said Ghana has sufficient laws to deal with criminal conduct.
Richard Kumadoe questioned the practical effectiveness of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, arguing that even before the Act was passed, Ghana had enough laws that could be used to prosecute people who committed crimes.
He therefore challenged the authorities to explain what happened after the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act in 2019 and after the 2020 and 2024 elections, particularly in cases where people were killed or violence occurred.
He questioned what action had been taken apart from statements and discussions.
According to him, the issue is not necessarily whether the Vigilantism Act exists but whether the state is prepared to enforce the law.
He argued that if the authorities have the mandate and legal powers to prosecute people involved in vigilantism but refuse to do so, then the legislation cannot be said to have served its intended purpose.
Mr Kumadoe maintained that Ghana had sufficient laws even before the Vigilantism Act and that the critical issue remains enforcement.
He outlined three major steps that must be taken to deal with the threat: first, authorities must identify the people involved; second, they must investigate their actions; and third, where the law has been broken, they must take legal action against the perpetrators.
He added that victims of political violence must also be compensated.
According to him, if these steps are properly followed, the country can make progress in dealing with vigilantism and election-related violence.
Mr Kumadoe further criticised the failure to prosecute perpetrators of political violence, arguing that repeated announcements without concrete legal action would not solve the problem.
He also referred to claims by Festus Kema that political actors may have entered into an internal understanding within their parties not to prosecute people involved in vigilantism.
He said the protection of vigilante groups by political parties would make it difficult for the country to address the problem.
According to him, if individuals commit crimes, they must be prosecuted irrespective of their political affiliation.
He insisted that the solution is not complicated: people who break the law must face the consequences.
Richard Kumadoe also questioned why, despite the 2020 and 2024 elections and subsequent discussions involving the Interior Ministry, the President and the Inspector-General of Police, there had been limited prosecution of people linked to election-related violence.
He said the continued absence of prosecution sends the wrong signal and could encourage others to believe that they can commit offences during elections without facing consequences.
He therefore called on the government and security agencies to stop relying only on laws and public statements and begin enforcing the laws effectively.
For Mr Kumadoe, the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act cannot be judged by its existence on paper. Its real value must be measured by whether people who engage in political violence are identified, investigated and prosecuted.
He concluded that unless the authorities take concrete action against perpetrators, the country will continue to face the threat of political vigilantism and election-related violence.
Richard Kumadoe stressed that prosecution remains central to the fight against vigilantism: identify the perpetrators, investigate their actions, prosecute them when they cross the red line, and compensate the victims.
Background
Political vigilantism has remained a major concern in Ghana’s democratic development, particularly during election periods, when political parties have historically been associated with groups accused of intimidation, violence and other unlawful activities.
In response to concerns over the activities of political vigilante groups, Parliament passed the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999). The legislation criminalises the formation, operation and participation in political vigilante groups and seeks to prevent political parties and their supporters from using organised groups to perpetrate violence.
The law was introduced against the backdrop of growing public concern over politically motivated violence and the activities of groups linked to the two major political parties.
However, concerns over political vigilantism have continued even after the passage of the law, with renewed attention on the ability of security agencies and the justice system to identify and prosecute individuals involved in election-related violence.
The issue has also become more complex as some former vigilante operatives are believed to have moved into other areas, including private security, bodyguard services and illegal mining, making it more difficult to identify them through their former political group affiliations.
The debate has therefore shifted from merely banning or disbanding vigilante groups to ensuring that individuals who commit criminal acts are properly investigated and prosecuted, regardless of their political connections or the platform under which they operate.
Richard Kumadoe’s comments come amid these renewed concerns, with calls for the security agencies and political authorities to strengthen accountability ahead of future elections and ensure that political violence does not undermine Ghana’s democratic process.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah
Ahotoronline, Accra