By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has assured the public that a full briefing will be provided on the status of investigations and court proceedings relating to attacks on journalists, including the Ablekuma North incident.
The Ablekuma North attack occurred on July 11, 2025, during the parliamentary election rerun, when two journalists — Emmanuel Banahene of EIB Network and Salomey Nartey of JoyNews, were assaulted while covering the exercise. The journalists were allegedly attacked by a police officer and unidentified individuals at the scene.
Following the incident, the Ghana Police Service interdicted the officer involved and launched an investigation. The GJA condemned the assault, describing it as “brutal and unprovoked”, and issued a seven-day ultimatum to the police, warning of a nationwide media blackout if those responsible were not held accountable.
Speaking to the media in Accra on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, Mr Dwumfour said the Association remained committed to pursuing justice and accountability for all journalists who have been attacked in the line of duty. He said the GJA was awaiting updates from the Accra Regional Police Command, which is handling the case, as the matter remains before the court.
Mr Dwumfour added that the Association’s legal team is developing a structured approach to monitor and follow up on all cases involving attacks on journalists to ensure due process is followed.
He also called for collective efforts from stakeholders to prevent future attacks on media practitioners and safeguard press freedom in the country.
Meanwhile, the GJA General Secretary, Dominic Hlordzi, expressed concern over a recent attack on a Class FM journalist, Samuel Addo. He said the incident was particularly troubling, noting that the Association had earlier prayed for an end to attacks on journalists during a service held on December 31.
