GHOne TV journalist, Agyekum Banahene, says he now fears for his safety after being assaulted by a police officer during coverage of the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11, 2025.
The incident occurred at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling 2 Station, where Banahene was slapped by an officer while trying to access the inner perimeter of the voting center to report on the election.
He told Citi News Fauzu Masawudu in an interview that “I feel threatened because we were complaining about media freedom, and now what has happened is that an officer, not a layman, has slapped a journalist.
“That means he has taken an interest in whatever we are doing… My eyes are currently shaking. I don’t know what will happen to me.”
Recounting the events, Banahene explained that the officer targeted him without cause.
“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 he just approached me to leave.
“I said no, I can’t go — what if I go and something happens, how do I report? He was pushing me and he slapped me in the face for no reason. I have not done anything wrong to anybody.”
He described the officer’s actions as a threat to press freedom and questioned the professionalism of law enforcement.
“For me, I say the man has taken an interest. We need to allow laymen to do this, not an officer who knows the law. They say press freedom — where is that press freedom?”
Banahene said he intends to file an official complaint with the Accra Regional Police Command.
“So for me, I have taken note that Monday morning I am going to make an official complaint to the Commander at Accra. But the Accra Mayor has spoken to me about the issue, so he has asked me to go and make an official complaint.”
The Ghana Police Service has not yet issued a public response to the incident.