25-Year Old Ghanaian Flees To Join IS, Tells Parents… Don’t Worry About Me

A 25-year-old man from Ghana is feared to have left his country to join the Islamic State (IS) group, his father says. It is the first reported case of a Ghanaian joining IS.

Abdul Latif Alema told the BBC that his son's disappearance was "like someone in the family has died". Mohammad Nazir Nortei Alema sent him a text message on 16 August to say that he was joining the group fighting in Syria and Iraq, he added.

He has not been seen since then, Mr Alema said.

BBC's Sammy Darko who reports from the capital, Accra, said he saw the message sent using the instant messaging app WhatsApp.

It says: "O my Father, O my Mother, do not be worried about the decision of your son..."

Mr Alema said his son had earlier indicated that he wanted to live under Islamic rule.

"Nobody's happy and as for his mum she keeps on crying and fasting and praying that her son returns," he told the BBC.

The government has not yet said a word on the apparent defection.

Ghana has a minority Muslim population and has not been affected by insurgency involving militant Islamists.