Ghanaian security boss allays fears over ISIS recruits

Ghana's National Security has allayed any apprehension arising from the growing number of Ghanaians joining the dreaded terrorist group, Islamic State (ISIS), local media reported Friday.

Yaw Donkor, National Security Coordinator, said although the number of Ghanaians joining the ranks of the dreaded terrorist organization could rise, "there is no reason to fear".

National Security managers Thursday advised selected editors in a maiden engagement since the ISIS story broke out to be circumspect in their reportage on the subject.

This comes against the backdrop of a Ghanaian lady, Shakira Mohammed, and Nazir Nortei Alema, a 25-year-old male graduate of the University of Science and Technology who have reportedly joined the ISIS.

Donkor said the ISIS recruitment could go up instead of coming down but explained that, currently, the number of those who had joined the terrorist group was only a handful.

He also explained that social media were the main means of reaching out to those subscribing to the ISIS mentality, and cautioned that there should not be excessive fear about ISIS threats in the country because "the current direction is out­ward".

"It is only when they are returning that we should worry," he stressed.

According to a Ghanaian private daily, The Daily Guide, some public tertiary institutions have so far been sources of recruitment for ISIS, and therefore the national security apparatus had directed its attention to these locations in its continuing investigations.

National Security Advisor Baba Kamara also cautioned the media and Ghanaians in general against stereotyping when dealing with the ISIS issue because "we are all potential recruits".

The issue, he urged, should not be limited to the Islamic community because it went beyond that.

The National Security Council has meanwhile begun outreach programs to alert people about the security threats posed by religious zealots. Endit