Accra, Ghana – July 14, 2025 – The Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) strongly condemns the brutal and coordinated attacks against at least three journalists who were carrying out their professional and lawful duties during the parliamentary election rerun in the Ablekuma North Constituency, Ghana, on Friday, July 11, 2025.
The targeted journalists included Kwabena Agyekum Banahene of the EIB Network (GHOne TV and Starr FM), Salomey Martey of the Multimedia Group (JoyNews), and Vida Wiafe of Amansan TV (ATV).
According to reports, Mr. Banahene was physically assaulted and slapped by a police officer in an incident captured on video, despite being clearly identifiable as a member of the press; Ms. Martey was viciously attacked from behind and slapped across the face by an unprovoked thug, while Ms. Wiafe was incapacitated with pepper spray, causing her to lose consciousness.
These rather appalling acts of violence, perpetrated by both a uniformed police officer and unidentified political thugs, represent a grave assault on press freedom, the rule of law, and the very foundations of Ghana’s democracy.
These are not isolated incidents but part of a deeply alarming pattern of escalating electoral violence and hostility towards the media in Ghana as documented by the CJID’s Press Attack Tracker since January, 2025.
We find the Electoral Commission’s (EC) silence on the reported attacks on journalists during the election very concerning. As the body responsible for conducting and ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in Ghana, the EC has a fundamental duty to guarantee a safe environment for journalists and media professionals who help to ensure democratic accountability and transparency. . We call on the EC to publicly condemn these attacks and immediately integrate comprehensive journalist safety protocols into its operational planning for all future elections.
While we acknowledge the swift interdiction of the officer involved in the assault on Mr. Banahene, we demand a transparent and public investigation by the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) into this officer’s conduct and a vigorous, public effort to identify, arrest, and prosecute the civilian thugs responsible for the attacks on Salomey Martey and Vida Wiafe.
We also urge the government of the Republic of Ghana to take decisive and concrete action to curb the pervasive culture of impunity that shields perpetrators of crimes against journalists. This requires the political will to prosecute attackers, regardless of their political affiliation, and to ensure that state security agencies protect, rather than persecute, journalists.
CJID stands in solidarity with Kwabena Agyekum Banahene, Salomey Martey, Vida Wiafe, and all other journalists in the Republic of Ghana. An attack on a journalist is an attack on their right to freedom of expression and every citizen’s right to be informed and as such, we call upon all stakeholders, especially security agents, political parties and the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that the right of journalists to go about their lawful duties without any fear of reprisal is protected.
Signed
Busola Ajibola
Deputy Director, Journalism Program, CJID.
