‘It Was Racism’ – Kwabena Kwabena Recounts Painful Arrest In Germany

Ghanaian highlife musician Kwabena Kwabena has opened up about a painful incident from his 2007 European tour, where he and fellow musicians Screwfaze and Reggie Zippy were arrested in Germany under troubling circumstances.

In an interview with Okay FM on January 27, 2025, Kwabena Kwabena recalled how immigration officers followed their car for over an hour before pulling them over while they were traveling from Amsterdam to Italy.

Despite having all the necessary documents, they were detained and taken to a station, where they were held for three days. The musician firmly believes that their arrest was racially motivated, describing the experience as humiliating and a clear case of racial profiling.

The situation improved only after a white human rights lawyer intervened, challenging the officers’ actions in court.

Although the court ordered their release, the officers refused to return their passports, escalating the matter to a higher court.