Bishop Dr Agyei Lawson has called on religious leaders "to reject intolerance, hate speech, provocations and violence, while promoting dialogue, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence".

He made the call during an engagement between Christian and Muslim religious leaders convened by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno at the Emergency Command Centre of the Police Headquarters in Cantonments, Accra.

"Our diversity should unite us and not divide us," Bishop Lawson said.

He encouraged preachers to use the message to promote peace and restraint among their congregations, and thanked IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno for convening the engagement.

The engagement comes amid heightened tensions following a series of videos involving comments about Prophet Mohammed, and the subsequent arrest of persons connected to the controversy. 

The Ghana Police Service arrested 35-year old Imam Masud Abdullah over a video in which he allegedly encouraged people to kill those who insult Prophet Mohammed while Daniel Junior Yaw Adjei, alias Apostle Daniel JY Adjei, was arrested after a separate video emerged in which he allegedly made derogatory comments about the Prophet.

The situation escalated after another video showed Alhaji Sibamay Zakaria allegedly assaulting the handcuffed Apostle Daniel JY Adjei while he was in police custody. 

Zakaria was subsequently arrested and is assisting police with investigations.

Against this backdrop, the IGP convened Christian and Muslim religious leaders at the Emergency Command Centre to help de-escalate tensions and promote religious tolerance, restraint and peaceful coexistence. 

At the meeting, the religious leaders called on their followers to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and violence, and to preserve Ghana's longstanding interfaith harmony.