Ghana-based Nigerian businessman, Benedict Peters, also known as Ben Peters, was reportedly arrested together with about 25 others at the Aurora Apartments at Kanda, near the Jubilee House.
The arrest was reportedly conducted by a joint team of National Security operatives, the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Armed Forces, led by the Director in Charge of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, Richard Jakpa; and the Deputy Director of Operations at the Office of the President, Mustapha Gbande.
Ben Peters was sent to the Greater Accra Regional CID for further interrogation, according to Mustapha Gbande.
Here is what GhanaWeb knows about the case so far:
Alleged crimes:
After the arrest, Mustapha Gbande, in a number of interviews, listed the crimes the Nigerian business mogul has supposedly committed.
According to him, these are:
– Blocking of a road: The security official was initially called in after Ben Peters blocked the entrance of the apartment with his vehicles, with the help of some armed men, denying other residents access.
Gbande said that Peters blocked the road with the help of his security team because the owners of the apartment had failed to give him keys to some rooms.
Gbande also said that the blockage of the road by the businessman was a crime.
– Use of police sirens: The security official also found at the scene of the incident that a number of cars owned by Peters had police sirens on them, which, the Deputy Director of Operations, Gbande, said, was illegal.
In Ghana, the Road Traffic Regulations 74(3) lists the categories of vehicles that are allowed to use sirens, and vehicles of businessmen are not on the list.
Vehicles that are allowed to use sirens include those of the president of the nation, police vehicles, ambulances, vehicles of recognised security agencies, and bullion vehicles.
Gbande claimed that Peters had a number of vehicles with floodlights and sirens.
– Use of unsanctioned private security: The Nigerian business mogul is also in trouble for operating an unauthorised security agency.
He is accused of running a security team, which requires the authorisation of the Minister of the Interior under the laws of Ghana.
– Unregistered vehicles and a police motorcade: Mustapha Gbande also claimed that the Nigerian businessman owns about 20 unregistered vehicles.
He added that they also saw in the possession of Peters a police motorcade with no number plate.
Involvement of National Security:
The Deputy Director of Operations at the Office of the President, Mustapha Gbande, also stated that a team of police officers was sent to the scene of the incident when they received a report of Peters blocking the entrance of the apartment.
He indicated that the National Security got involved after threats by security officials of the businessman to shoot at the police officers if they attempted to arrest the businessman.
He added that the threat of a gunfight close to the seat of government led to the involvement of the National Security.
He said that the National Security saw about 60 to 70 of Peters’ security officials, who were all dressed in black suits and white inner shirts.
Involvement of Ibrahim Mahama
A report by citinewsroom.com indicated that the Nigerian businessman refused arrest for several minutes and went into hiding during the clash between his men and security operatives.
The security officials managed to arrest him after Ghanaian businessman, Ibrahim Mahama, showed up at the scene.
How the Nigerian media reported the arrest
Reports by some Nigerian media houses, including vanguardngr.com, have debunked reports in Ghana about the arrest of Ben Peters.
Vanguard reported that its sources in the Ghana Police Service had dismissed reports that the Nigerian billionaire had been arrested or detained.
It said that Peters peacefully protested after he was repeatedly denied access to a private lift connected to his home and parked four of his vehicles on the internal road within the complex for approximately two to three hours.
It added that the businessman cooperated peacefully with National Security operatives when they were called in by the owners of the property.
The media house also indicated that a senior Ghanaian police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the situation involved a routine traffic clearance operation near a construction site — not an arrest.
“At no point was Mr Peters arrested or detained. The situation was a routine traffic issue involving a temporary obstruction,” the police is quoted to have said.
Videos from scene of the arrest:
Videos from the scene of the arrest, however, emerged later, showing the businessman’s security facing off with the National Security operatives and policemen.
The police and the operatives could be seen chasing and engaging in struggles with the men who were resisting arrest.
Another video showed a fleet of pick-up trucks with police sirens on them, which supposedly belonged to the businessman, and a number of his security guards, who were clothed in black suits, standing close to the vehicles.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
