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Paul Afoko recounts escape during 1983 jailbreak and subsequent detention
via GhanaWeb3 min read
Paul Afoko, a former New Patriotic Party NPP National Chairman, shared his experience of escaping detention during the June 19, 1983 prison break under the Provisional National Defence Council PNDC regime. Speaking on Channel One TV on July 21, 2026, Afoko explained that he seized the opportunity to flee when a group attempting to overthrow the government broke into the prison to free soldiers. Although not involved in the coup attempt, he feared for his life if he remained incarcerated. He had previously fled to Burkina Faso, then called Upper Volta, after receiving intelligence that soldiers were coming to arrest him from Tamale. He crossed the border on a motorbike and blended in due to his ability to speak the local language. Afoko later returned to Ghana after his father, following assurances from then-PNDC member Daniel Akatapuri, asked him to come home. However, soldiers surrounded his home at dawn shortly after his return, arrested him, and transferred him to a detention center in Accra. After escaping during the prison break, Afoko went into hiding before leaving Ghana through Kotoka International Airport with the help of friends, including a junior from secondary school who was the country manager for Nigeria Airways.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
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