Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, has described her time in police custody as a “very good experience” following her arrest in connection with violent clashes at the Electoral Commission office in Ofaakor, near Kasoa, on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
The MP was arrested alongside her driver Mustapha Mohammed and bodyguard Abdul Aziz Musah after a firearm was found in their vehicle, a Honda CRV with registration number GX-2044-19. The arrest came after violence broke out between supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during a voter transfer exercise. Four people were injured, including Ato Koomson, son of incumbent MP Mavis Hawa Koomson, who was stabbed in the chest and rushed to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
In an exclusive interview with Ghana Weekend on Tuesday May 27, Naa Koryoo recounted the events leading to her detention at the Cantonments Police Station and offered a surprisingly positive take on the experience.
“On that day, when I was giving my statement around 2pm, I felt odd,” she recalled. “My instincts told me something wasn’t right. I overheard some police officers speaking in Akan, saying, ‘there is space,’ and that gave me the impression we were going to be detained.”
She said she was with her driver and bodyguard at the time, and all three were taken into custody. When food was brought in, her bodyguard refused to eat, prompting a police officer to say, “If you don’t eat, you’ll be hungry at dawn.”
Anticipating her arrest, the MP quickly alerted journalists via a media platform she had set up earlier.
“I told them to be on standby. Before I was taken downstairs around 5pm, I sent out a viral message saying I had been arrested, dropped my location, and posted it on Facebook.”
Once in the cell, she was stripped of her clothing and wig.
“They took everything off, my dress, my wig. And it was a nice wig,” she said, laughing.
Despite the ordeal, Naa Koryoo said she adapted quickly and found unexpected camaraderie among the other female inmates.
“To me, it was a very good experience. There were four other ladies in the cell, and we bonded well. We talked, laughed, and supported each other.”
She even described an unusual musical interaction between the male and female cells.
“There were about 30 inmates in the male cell opposite ours. A crowd had gathered outside chanting songs. We also started singing from within. Sometimes, I would start a song and the people outside would respond. It felt like a jama session.”
Read also
Nana Romeo joins Despite Media as host of ‘Ekwanso Dwoodwoo’ on Okay FM
