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Two guests at a wedding ceremony in Kukuo, a suburb of the Tamale Metropolis have been arrested by the Northern Regional Police Command for flouting the ban on social gatherings.

The suspects, Iddi Ibrahim, 34 and Abubakari Yusif Dauda, 33 were arrested for violating the Imposition of Restrictions Bill, 2020, which gives legal backing to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's directives to deal with the threats posed by Coronavirus in the country.

The bride, groom and the remaining guests, however, managed to escape during the raid by the police on Sunday afternoon.

Briefing

Briefing the media, the Northern Regional Crime Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent, Mr Otuo Acheampong said the Police received information at about 1 pm that a wedding ceremony was underway in the community.

He said two patrol teams were dispatched to the scene and arrested the two suspects who were part of the gathering in blatant disregard to the ban on public gatherings and social distancing protocols.

The wedding invitation

"On 19 April 20 about 1300 hours, information was received that a wedding ceremony was underway at Kukuo, a suburb of Tamale. Two patrol teams responded and arrested two suspects who were part of the gathering in blatant disregard to Executive Instruments against public gatherings and social distancing," he noted.

He added that the groom and bride who escaped arrest have been asked to report themselves at the Regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Supt Acheampong indicated that the two suspects were assisting the police with investigations, adding that they would be charged and arraigned before the court within the week.

Background

The government of Ghana suspended all public gatherings in the country following the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ghana on Saturday, March 14, 2020.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made this known in a televised national address Sunday night [March 15, 2020].

He said the new directives followed an earlier meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Coronavirus response which he chaired and led to deliberate on the issues.

"I have decided, in the interest of public safety and protection of our population, to review the public gathering advisories earlier announced."

He said among the gatherings suspended were church services, weddings, funerals and other social gatherings.