Meet the three journalists assaulted during the Ablekuma North rerun

The parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North Constituency on Friday, July 11, 2025, was marred by disturbing incidents of violence against journalists.

While carrying out their lawful duties at various polling stations, three media personnel from different media outlets were assaulted.

Here is the list of the three journalists who were assaulted.

Kwabena Agyekum Banahene

Agyekum Banahene was slapped by a police officer as he attempted to access the inner perimeter of the voting centre for election coverage.

The incident occurred at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling 2 Station.

According to him, the officer singled him out without any provocation.

“He just came to approach me that I should leave the premises. Meanwhile, there were other media guys at the premises, he didn’t ask anybody to leave but just approached me to leave,” Banahene said.

Banahene Agyekum has complained of pains in his right eye.

“Yes, (I won’t be able to continue work today) because my right eye is shaking and I don’t know what happened to my forehead. I have to go for a medical checkup,” he stated.

The Ghana Police Service has since interdicted the officer, identified as Adentan Divisional Commander, Lumor.

Sally Martey

JoyNews digital journalist Sally Martey was assaulted by an attacker believed to be part of a group of well-coordinated thugs who stormed the polling station, disrupting the voting process.

The man, wearing a cloth mask that partially concealed his face, turned deliberately toward Sally as she walked near the St Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station, approached her from behind, and launched a vicious and unprovoked attack, slapping her and shoving her forcefully.

“I did nothing. He just came at me and attacked me,” a shaken Sally recounted after the incident.

Vida Wiafe

A reporter at Accra-based television station, Amansan TV (ATV), Vida Wiafe was also assaulted while covering the parliamentary rerun.

In a statement issued on July 11, 2025, the station, said, “We have learned with deep concern that during the course of her assignment, Vida was physically assaulted with pepper spray by security personnel, leading to her collapse at the scene.”

According to the statement, she was immediately attended to by medics and has since been stabilised after receiving the necessary medical attention.

ATV, therefore, in the statement, strongly condemned the act of violence against a member of the media who was lawfully performing her duties in the public interest.

The statement further called on the Ghana Police Service to take full responsibility for the actions of its officers and ensure that Vida received appropriate compensation and support for the trauma suffered.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned what it describes as a brutal and unprovoked assault on journalists who were covering the parliamentary election rerun in the Ablekuma North Constituency.

Addressing the press on Friday July 11, 2025, GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor expressed disappointment that the day, which also marked the swearing-in of newly elected GJA national executives, had been marred by acts of violence against journalists.

Meanwhile, you can watch GhanaWeb TV’s exclusive interview with Arathejay below: