Dozens of Palestinians, Including a Journalist and a Teen, Detained in Overnight West Bank Raids
January 5, 2026
Ghana Reaffirms Commitment to Justice in Ahmed Hussein-Suale Murder Case After Nearly Eight Years
January 6, 2026
January 06, 2025 – Ghana –
A Class Media Group reporter, Samuel Addo, alleges he was physically assaulted and robbed by personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) while covering a fire outbreak at Kasoa New Market in the Central Region on January 4, 2026, prompting a formal police complaint and widespread condemnation from media bodies. Addo recounted that after reporting live from the scene and seeking comment from GNFS officers, he was confronted by around ten fire service personnel, who allegedly seized him by the neck, twisted his arms behind his back, and assaulted him before taking his phone and belt. Later, he discovered that GHS 10,200 of the GHS 20,000 he was carrying was missing, and has filed this theft allegation with the Ghana Police Service as investigations proceed. His phone was subsequently returned through the intervention of a local Member of Parliament.
The incident has triggered strong reactions across Ghana’s media and civil society. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned the attack as “brutal, unlawful, and reprehensible,” arguing that Addo was performing his public-interest duties when assaulted and calling for the arrest and prosecution of all GNFS personnel involved. GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour stressed that the incident represents not only harm to an individual journalist but also an attack on media freedom, the public’s right to information, and democratic norms. The association has criticised a GNFS press statement that appeared to minimise the assault by suggesting the phone had merely been seized because the journalist was filming without permission.
Government officials have also responded. Minister of State in charge of Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu publicly condemned the assault as “most unacceptable” and pledged that firm action would be taken against what he described as rogue elements within the service, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to protecting journalists. The GNFS has stated that it is cooperating with police investigations to establish the facts.
Legal and media freedom advocates have weighed in as well. A private legal practitioner described the assault as “absolutely barbaric” and inconsistent with constitutional protections of the right to information, noting the broader implications for press safety. Meanwhile, the West Africa Editors Society (WAES) has urged the police to investigate the matter urgently, calling the attack a “blot on press freedom” and emphasising that journalists do not require permission to record public scenes.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about journalist safety in Ghana, particularly for reporters covering emergencies and public incidents, and highlights tensions between state personnel and media practitioners in the field.
Reference –
Class Media journalist says he lost GHS10,200 during assault by Fire Service officers
