The 2001 Final Year Batch of Adventist Junior High School, Techiman, has demanded the immediate release of their former classmate, Salomey Awiti Baffoe, who has been remanded for two weeks by the Adenta Circuit Court over allegations linking her to the anonymous “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.

In a statement released on September 17, the group described Ms Baffoe’s arrest and subsequent remand as a matter of grave concern, insisting that she was a quiet, disciplined, and focused student who was never politically active or involved in controversy.

“We write this statement not as politicians. Not as activists. Not as partisans. We write as ordinary Ghanaians who sat in the same classroom with Salomey for years. We ate with her. We studied with her. We grew up with her. And we can say with absolute certainty: the Salomey we know is not the person being described in the media,” the statement said.

Ms Baffoe, a Senior Nursing Officer and mother of three, was described by her former classmates as someone who kept to herself, focused on her studies, and helped others without being asked.

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The group said after completing school, she trained as a nurse and later became a senior nursing officer, dedicating her life to caring for the sick.

However, it said it was particularly concerned about the circumstances surrounding her arrest at her home in Hansua in the Techiman Municipality on the night of Sunday, September 13.

According to the statement, three individuals, two men and a woman dressed in black uniforms and claiming to be National Security operatives, arrived at her residence at about 11pm.

The group alleged that the individuals did not present a warrant, state the grounds for the arrest, allow Ms Baffoe to pack any belongings or speak to a lawyer or her children before taking her away.

“They simply took her,” the statement said.

It added that Ms Baffoe’s brother, who witnessed the incident, was told she was being taken to the regional command.

The group further alleged that the nursing officer’s elderly mother later received a telephone call from a man claiming to be with the Jema BNI, who alleged that her daughter was “Ghana Jollof."

It said Ms Baffoe’s three children had not seen their mother since the arrest, while her phones had been switched off.

“This is not an arrest. This is an abduction,” the statement said.

The former classmates also questioned the basis for Ms Baffoe’s remand, citing what they said was information presented by the prosecution in court that the person behind the “Ghana Jollof” account is currently in the United Kingdom.

“The prosecution itself told the court that the person behind the ‘Ghana Jollof’ account is currently in the United Kingdom,” the group said.

It subsequently questioned why Ms Baffoe, whom it described as a nursing officer, mother of three and a woman with no political affiliation, was being held.

“If the real ‘Ghana Jollof’ is in the UK, on what basis is Salomey being held?” it asked.

“If the real ‘Ghana Jollof’ is in the UK, why was she taken from her home at midnight?”

“If the real ‘Ghana Jollof’ is in the UK, why are her children without their mother tonight?”

The group also referred to a video it said was released by the “Ghana Jollof” account shortly after Ms Baffoe’s arrest, in which the account allegedly mocked the security operatives for arresting the wrong person.

The statement quoted the voice in the video as saying, "You arrested the wrong person. Salomey Baffoe is not Ghana Jollof. I am Ghana Jollof. You think you can silence me by arresting an innocent woman? You are wasting your time.”

The group said the account remained active and continued posting, while Ms Baffoe remained in custody.

“The Ghana Jollof account is still active. The real person is still posting. And Salomey Awiti Baffoe, an innocent mother, is sitting in a cell,” it said.

“How does that make sense"? they asked.

The 2001 Final Year Batch is consequently demanding Ms Baffoe’s immediate and unconditional release.

“She is innocent. The real Ghana Jollof has said so. The prosecution’s own case says so. She must be released immediately and unconditionally,” the statement said.

The group is also demanding a public apology from the state to Ms Baffoe, her family, and her children, as well as a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding her arrest.

It wants authorities to establish who ordered the arrest, who instructed security personnel to enter the private residence at 11pm without a warrant, and who told the family that Ms Baffoe was “Ghana Jollof."

“The Ghanaian people deserve to know,” the statement said.

The former classmates are further demanding compensation for the family and prosecution of those responsible if investigations establish that Ms Baffoe was falsely accused and unlawfully detained.

“If it is established that Salomey was falsely accused and unlawfully detained, those responsible whether in National Security, the BNI, or any other agency must face the full rigours of the law,” the statement said.

The group has also appealed to President John Dramani Mahama, the First Lady Lordina Mahama, the Minister of the Interior, the Inspector-General of Police, the diplomatic community and human rights institutions, including the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), to intervene.

Addressing President Mahama directly, the group said: “Mr. President, we are begging you. As our president. As a father. As a grandfather. Please intervene. Please bring Salomey home.”

It also urged the media and the public to continue drawing attention to the case.

“This is not about politics. This is not about ‘Ghana Jollof’. This is about an innocent mother who has been taken from her children,” the statement said.

The 2001 Final Year Batch ended its statement by insisting that it would continue to demand justice and the release of their former classmate.

“We will continue to speak. We will continue to write. We will continue to demand justice,” it said, adding that “Salomey is our sister. Salomey is innocent. Salomey must come home.”