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Angry young women stormed the Dumasua Police Station, demanding the release of an elderly womanThe old woman had been arrested after a borrower allegedly used a loan for her wedding and failed to payThe borrower was allegedly set free by the police, resulting in outrage and claims of favouritism Tension rocked the Dumasua Township after several angry young women stormed the local police station, demanding the release of an elderly woman whom they claimed had been detained unfairly. A viral video captured the women appearing to 'commandeer' the police station, shouting and confronting police officers, bringing the small and usually busy law enforcement outpost to a standstill. At the heart of their frustration is the arrest of their friend, who had acted as a guarantor for a loan. The apprehended lady was arrested after the borrower allegedly used the funds for her wedding and failed to repay. Allegations of favouritism spark outrage The protesters claimed the borrower, believed to be a friend of some police officers, had been left to walk free while the guarantor faced detention. “She has not eaten since morning, and now she will spend the night in cells,” one distraught woman cried. Others alleged that another young mother, who had recently delivered, had also been arrested. The circumstances leading to this particular woman's arrest were not clear by the time of publishing this report. “Why do you allow money to control us?” one protester lamented. Watch the video below: Reactions to guarantor's arrest over loan spending The video has drawn widespread attention online, with Ghanaians expressing mixed feelings. Some have questioned why a guarantor, not the borrower, should be arrested and sought opinions on whether this was legal. YEN.com.gh collated some of the reactions below: User 36 million cedis wrote: “If the borrower is walking free, why arrest the guarantor? Something doesn’t add up.” Another, Don Papa 🇿🇦, stated: “The police cannot arrest a guarantor without a court warrant this is a civil matter.” Others, however, reminded social media users and Ghanaians in general that guarantors are obliged to take responsibility whenever loans are not paid when they mature. Son of Marcus Garvey 😍 wrote: "The duty of the police is to maintain law and order and not to be seen acting as debt collectors." Apuu t)) wrote: "Ahhh, so what does she understand by the word guarantor? If the thing is A, it’s A. We like playing the victim role too much in this country. Be disappointed in your mom for trusting a bad friend. Simple" ItsSammyNY also wrote: "How them dey understand guarantor?😂😂😂" Gottagetthebag also added: "Where did she help the person take the loan?.. I want a 40,000 facility" Ghanaians cautioned on ramifications of guaranteeing loans The video appeared to serve as a lesson to most Ghanaians who seized the opportunity to caution others against guaranteeing loans for friends and family if they are not willing to service the facilities in the event of a default. The main talking point in the entire discourse was the question of why the borrower used the money to finance a wedding, which is not a business expected to yield returns. For many, the arrest was a useful reminder that actions have consequences. MTN Ghana to tighten loan defaulter rules YEN.com.gh earlier reported that MTN Ghana announced plans to penalise Mobile Money loan defaulters. Technical Manager Samuel Duku said that defaulters would soon be barred from accessing loans from any financial institution. While details remain unclear, Duku noted that the company already has subscriber data from the SIM registration exercise, giving it the means to enforce the policy. Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh. Source: YEN.com.gh
