Who is Ghana Jollof? The woman behind the viral TikTok account

For months, the name “Ghana Jollof” has been familiar to many Ghanaians who follow political discussions on social media, particularly TikTok.

However, while the account has attracted significant attention for its political commentary and criticism of public officials, the identity of the person behind the account was not publicly known.

The Ghana Police Service has now identified the person behind the account as 40-year-old Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof.”

The Police have declared Ms Kodua wanted in connection with investigations into the publication and circulation of alleged false news, inciteful comments and offensive content on social media.

According to the Police, Barbara Asantewaa Kodua is believed to be domiciled in the United Kingdom.

A wanted-person notice issued by the Police says she was last seen at the Accra International Airport on August 4, 2022, and the Service believes she may currently be in the United Kingdom.

The Police have appealed to members of the public with information about her whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.

But who exactly is “Ghana Jollof”?

The name is associated with an anonymous TikTok account that has been used to publish political videos and commentary, including content directed at President John Dramani Mahama, First Lady Lordina Mahama and other government officials.

The account operated without publicly revealing the identity of the person behind it.

That changed after police intelligence, according to the Criminal Investigations Department, identified Barbara Asantewaa Kodua as the alleged operator.

At a press briefing on Friday, September 18, 2026, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the Police had been monitoring the TikTok account as part of investigations into what they described as false news, inciteful comments and offensive conduct.

According to COP Donkor, Barbara had allegedly used the platform over a period to produce and publish videos containing statements which investigators considered capable of provoking violence.

She cited one video under investigation in which Barbara allegedly claimed that there had been a near coup d’état at the Jubilee House.

The Police say the investigation is not limited to Barbara.

It has also led to the arrest of Senior Nursing Officer Salomey Awiti Baffoe, a 40-year-old nurse based in Techiman, who the Police allege assisted in the dissemination of content produced by Barbara.

Salomey has been charged with abetment of crime, to wit, publication of false news, and has pleaded not guilty.

An Adentan Circuit Court subsequently remanded her into police custody for two weeks to assist with investigations, with her next appearance scheduled for September 30, 2026.

According to the Police, investigations established that Salomey and Barbara were friends.

COP Donkor said investigators had obtained audio interviews and other information concerning the relationship between the two women.

The Police further allege that Salomey assisted Barbara by recruiting other people to redistribute and circulate videos produced for the “Ghana Jollof” account across different social media platforms.

The investigation has also brought the issue of money into focus.

According to the Police, forensic examination of mobile phones, audio and video files, as well as mobile-money transaction records, revealed financial arrangements involving Barbara and Salomey.

COP Donkor said Barbara, while based in the United Kingdom, allegedly sent money to Salomey in Ghana to support the activities.

The Police further allege that Salomey subsequently distributed portions of the money to other people involved in redistributing and recirculating videos produced by Barbara.

The Police also say their investigations have identified individuals they describe as high-profile persons who allegedly provided financial support connected to the activities under investigation.

COP Donkor said forensic analysis of information retrieved from mobile devices, including audio and video material and other records, is forming part of the evidence being gathered by investigators.

She said the Police are continuing investigations to identify and locate other people allegedly involved in the redistribution of the videos, as well as individuals suspected of financially supporting the activities.

The Police have therefore presented the case as involving more than an individual TikTok account, with investigations focusing on the production, financing and circulation of the material.

For many Ghanaians, however, the development has raised a more basic question: who is the person behind the name they have been seeing online?

The Police's identification of Barbara Asantewaa Kodua has now provided an official name to the previously anonymous “Ghana Jollof” account.

Her public profile has largely been associated with the social media account rather than conventional political office or public political activity.

The Police have not said that every publication made through the account constitutes a criminal offence. Rather, their current investigation concerns specific publications and activities they allege amounted to false news, inciteful comments and offensive conduct.

The allegations against Barbara have not been tested in court.

Similarly, Salomey has pleaded not guilty to the charge against her, and the court proceedings are ongoing.

The Ghana Police Service says investigations are continuing and has appealed to the public for information that could assist in locating Barbara Asantewaa Kodua.

For now, the woman many Ghanaians knew only by the name “Ghana Jollof” has been publicly identified by the Police as Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, while questions surrounding the content published through the account, the people allegedly involved in circulating it and the financial arrangements behind the activities remain under investigation.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.