George Jojo Boateng: Ghanaian PhD student in Switzerland Recounts how he was Mistaken for a Criminal

• A Ghanaian PhD candidate at ETH Zürich in Switzerland was recently mistaken for a criminal because of his complexion
• According to the gentleman named George Jojo Boateng, he was stopped in the middle of the road and searched thoroughly like he was a threat
• Many social media users have been sympathizing with Jojo for having gone through that experience

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George Jojo Boateng, a PhD student in Zürich, Switzerland has recounted an incident that happened to him which has left many social media users heartbroken.

Narrating the story via his Facebook and LinkedIn handles, Jojo Boateng who studies at ETH Zürich, a public research university said he was in Geneva at the time when two police officers suddenly besieged him.

"While walking on a sidewalk in Geneva, minding my own business, I noticed 2 police officers rushing towards me from the other side of the street," he started.

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According to Jojo, immediately he spotted the officers coming his way, he felt as though he would become the next 'justice 4' hashtag on social media.

Jojo's bag was snatched from him and he was searched thoroughly to ensure he carried no harmful substances or weapons, and then he was warned to be careful.

However, Jojo indicated that a gentleman who was White passed right by himself and the police officers but did not get a similar treatment as he did because of his race.

Read the full account below:

If that place isn’t safe and I’m being interrogated, rather than being protected, I guess they saw me as a potential criminal that had to be stopped," he concluded.

What Ghanaians are saying

Terry Asiedu said:

So sorry this happened to you brother. Stay strong

Laura Sim indicated:

So sorry this happened to you, George. How awful. You’re doing amazing work and you’re an even more amazing person. Sad that they couldn’t see that.

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Meanwhile, George Jojo Boateng, the 28-year-old Ghanaian innovator was recently named in the MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 list for the year 2021.

In an official publication announcing the list and explaining the reasons for his selection, it is indicated that Jojo and his cofounder Victor Kumbol created an eight-week smartphone-­based coding course with their venture, SuaCode.ai.

So far, it is confirmed that the programme has had more than 600 students who successfully graduated from two dozen countries.

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Source: YEN.com.gh