Journalist fears safety after police assault

GHOne TV journalist Agyekum Banahene has expressed concerns for his safety after allegedly being assaulted by a police officer while covering the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11, 2025.

The incident took place at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling 2 Station, where Banahene was reportedly slapped by the officer as he attempted to enter the inner perimeter of the voting center for election coverage.

Speaking to Citi News’ Fauzu Masawudu, Banahene shared his distress, stating, “I feel threatened because we’ve been advocating for media freedom, yet an officer—not an ordinary citizen—has assaulted a journalist. This suggests he has a personal issue with our work… My eyes are still trembling. I don’t know what might happen to me next.”

Recalling the encounter, Banahene said the officer singled him out without justification. “He suddenly approached me and ordered me to leave, even though other journalists were present. He didn’t ask anyone else to go—just me. When I refused, explaining that I needed to stay to report any developments, he pushed me and then slapped me for no reason. I did nothing wrong.”

He condemned the officer’s behavior as an attack on press freedom and criticized the lack of professionalism. “This officer, who should uphold the law, is the one violating it. Where is the press freedom we keep hearing about?”

Banahene plans to formally report the incident to the Accra Regional Police Command. “I’ve decided to file an official complaint with the Accra Commander on Monday. The Accra Mayor has already spoken to me about the issue and advised me to lodge a complaint.”

As of now, the Ghana Police Service has not publicly addressed the matter.