Lockdown video: Ghana Armed Forces cover up for soldiers involved in brutalities

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) say military men involved in brutalities of innocent civilians who go contrary to the stay at home directive by the president are not members of Operation COVID Safety.

According to them in a statement signed by Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie, Director of Public Relations, videos circulating on social media depicting such acts are doctored and re-cycled videos of past events – some which did not even originate in Ghana.

“It would be recalled that on Saturday, 28th March 2020, TV 3 News carried a news item purportedly showing the arrival of troops in Kumasi to ensure residents conform to the partial lockdown directives by the President. The purported recording featured a voice which issued threats to residents of the Ashanti Region of intended brutalities by the Military.

This reportage, after our investigation, was found to be a doctored video. The said troops were in fact, part of a disinfection exercise which took place recently in Accra but had no bearing to the restrictions programme currently underway,” the statement said.

The GAF is of the opinion that “the deliberate circulation of unrelated and doctored social media material is orchestrated by certain individuals with the objective of casting the security agencies in the ongoing operation in a bad light".

About Operation COVID Safety

The Operation COVID Safety is the joint security task force enforcing the lockdown in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area, which is aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus disease.

Please read the full GAF's statement below.