21 suspects identified in deadly election violence across 2020 and 2024 polls
4th November 2025
The Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed, has revealed that twenty-one (21) suspects have been identified in connection with the killing of fifteen (15) people and the injury of forty (40) others during violent incidents recorded in the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
According to the Minister, four (4) of the suspects are on bail, five (5) remain on remand, while arrest warrants have been issued for the remaining individuals still at large.
The disclosure follows a special investigative report by a task force under the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), commissioned after President John Dramani Mahama in January 2025 directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to probe the killings and acts of violence associated with the two election years.
The report detailed a number of serious but isolated violent incidents, involving clashes between supporters of the two major political parties and instances where security personnel used live ammunition while attempting to disperse crowds.
According to findings:
- Three incidents, leading to four deaths, were linked to armed police patrol teams.
- Three cases, resulting in three deaths, involved military personnel.
- Four incidents, causing five deaths, were attributed to firearms used by political party supporters.
Investigations conducted through witness statements, forensic analysis, and scene inspections led to the identification of 21 suspects. While some have been arrested and charged, others remain fugitives. The Attorney General’s Department is currently prosecuting three individuals directly connected to the violence.
The report also cited breaches of police operational procedures, disciplinary lapses, and acts of negligence among some officers deployed during the elections. It strongly condemned the use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians, describing such actions as unprofessional and avoidable.
In response, President Mahama has directed that all recommendations contained in the task force report be implemented without delay. The Attorney General’s Office has been instructed to oversee compensation for affected families and individuals.
Key Recommendations from the Task Force Report
- Compensation for families of deceased and injured persons, under the supervision of the Attorney General’s office.
- Regular police retraining and orientation programmes to discourage the use of lethal force in crowd control.
- Provision of non-lethal crowd control equipment to security agencies.
- Enhanced capacity building for election security management to improve coordination between police and military.
- Public education for political parties on the Anti-Vigilante Act and responsible election conduct.
- Ban on military involvement in direct crowd control during elections.
The Interior Minister reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance stance on electoral violence, stressing that all individuals found culpable will face the full rigour of the law.
He assured the public that the government remains committed to justice for victims, strengthening security protocols, and ensuring that future elections are free from violence and intimidation.
The report has since been forwarded to the Attorney General and the CID for follow-up action, including prosecutions and compensation for victims and their families.