How a general convinced Rawlings to add Afrifa’s name to 1979 execution list
In June 1979, eight senior officers, including three former heads of state, were executed by firing squad under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), led by Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings. General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, a former Head of State; and Major General Emmanuel Kwasi Utuka, a former Border Guards Commander, were executed at the […]
In June 1979, eight senior officers, including former Heads of State, were executed by a firing squad led by then-Colonel Jerry John Rawlings. Among the executed were General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong and Major General Emmanuel Kwasi Utuka. On June 26, 1979, Lieutenant General Fred Akuffo, General Akwasi Afrifa and other military officials were also executed at the Teshie Military Range.
However, a 2020 interview with veteran broadcaster Kwaku Sakyi-Addo revealed that General Afrifa's name was not initially on the execution list. According to Rawlings, a fellow general added Afrifa to the list after convincing him that the former Head of State deserved to be executed. Rawlings recounted that he had Afrifa detained earlier for what he called provocative conduct, but after his recovery, he instructed him to be sent home.
However, Afrifa was brought back and placed on the execution list. Rawlings expressed emotion when handing over the list, having tried to prevent the killing of senior military commanders. The general allegedly named Afrifa as the "rogue" not on the list, leading Rawlings to add Afrifa's name.
Written by urgent.news from Adom Online's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
