BY BOAKYE STEPHEN, KUMASI, GHANA | REPORTING FOR GHANAIAN NEWS, CANADA | May 24, 2026
A 28-year-old Ghanaian citizen, Zakaria Abubakari from Savelugu, has finally reunited with his family after spending 77 days in detention in Burkina Faso following a military arrest linked to security operations in a conflict-prone area.
According to Zakaria, he was arrested on February 26, 2026, at about 7:00 p.m. in Kongoussi while staying in the home of a Good Samaritan he described as a Mossi man he did not know personally.
Zakaria explained that he was traveling through the region on his way to an undisclosed destination in Mali when armed soldiers stormed the residence and arrested him.
He stated that he was blindfolded immediately and transported to a military detention center in Kaya, where he remained for 13 days before being transferred to another undisclosed location for approximately 50 days.
Later, he was moved again to Ouagadougou, where he spent additional days in police custody before his eventual release in late April.
During interrogation, security officials repeatedly questioned him about his presence in Kongoussi, an area heavily impacted by the activities of non-state armed groups, especially Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.
After investigations, Zakaria said authorities found no evidence connecting him to any extremist organization.
Despite his release, he revealed that none of his confiscated belongings were returned.
“They only took me to a bus station barefoot and empty-handed and told me to return to Ghana,” he recounted.
He explained that strangers and Good Samaritans later supported him with transportation money that enabled him to return home.
Commentary | Boakye Stephen
Zakaria’s experience highlights the growing security tension across the Sahel region, where military operations against extremist groups increasingly affect civilians and travelers. The incident also raises concerns about cross-border safety for West Africans moving through conflict zones.
The development comes as Ghanaian intelligence authorities continue searching for another Ghanaian, Ibrahim Sadat, who was allegedly arrested by Burkinabe security personnel in March 2026 after crossing into Kounou.
Meanwhile, seven Ghanaians from Bawku who disappeared in Burkina Faso in 2023 after reportedly being invited for a cattle identification exercise remain unaccounted for.
