20-Year-Old Ghanaian Man Jailed For Claiming To Be A Military Officer On TikTok
- A young Ghanaian man has landed in serious trouble with the country's security agencies after making some remarks on social media
- A statement from the Ghana Armed Forces indicates that Alex Cobbina claimed in a video that he was a military officer when he was not
- Netizens who saw the punishment meted out to the young man expressed mixed reactions, with some believing it was much too harsh
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20-year-old Alex Cobbina has reportedly been served a three-year jail term following some remarks he made on social media.
According to a statement from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Cobbina recorded himself in a military outfit, claiming to be an officer when he was not.
Source: Getty Images
GAF noted that after conducting investigations, they realised the young man was in fact a washing bay attendant who resided in the Central Region.
"Last year, Mr Cobbina posted a video of himself in a camouflage trouser and a naval vest, claiming to be a military officer on TikTok, a social media platform," a portion of the statement said.
"The Ghana Navy monitored the video where Mr Cobbina commented on remarks attributed to President John Dramani Mahama about dismissing military recruits who entered the service through protocol," the statement added.
As a result of his actions, Cobbina was charged and jailed for impersonation and unlawful possession of military uniforms and related items.
The military, in its statement announcing the sentencing of the young man, urged the Ghanaian public to refrain from propagating falsehoods on social media.
See the post below:
Netizens fume over arrest of young man
Netizens who saw the post about the arrest of the fake military officer expressed mixed feelings. Many argued that the arrest was unnecessary.
@ananse__kwaku wrote:
"This sentence is unnecessary. He should have been given some community work to do. @JDMahama please let community service be part of correcting misbehaviours in the country. Not every crime demands jail time while Cecilia Abena Dapaah walks freely. Life is not fair."
@_tonykings wrote:
"Instead of him to be doing what is on his shirt he was busy doing the opposite."
@Psammie_Emma wrote:
"So if people don’t wear military uniforms,what will happen? Don’t people have dresses to wear aside that? Ah…Mtcheww."
@GeneralMawuko wrote:
"So now the question is how he got the military uniforms."
@Julius_Bliss1 wrote:
"Why not consistently let him serve the community in terms of keeping the environment clean over this 3 whole years, instead of sentencing him to waste Tax payers money and add more burdens to the government expenditure?"
@twum_omar wrote:
"How true is it? Tell us he is part of you but failed to adhere to your ethics and therefore has been locked in guardroom."
Ghana army arrests man sharing recruitment misinformation
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Ghana Armed Forces had arrested Cobbina for sharing recruitment misinformation.
The Military Police reportedly tracked the man to his residence at Madina Zongo Junction in Accra to apprehend him.
The army also urged the public to report any suspicious activities involving unauthorised use of military uniforms.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
