The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has condemned an alleged attack on a journalist from Bullet TV and Atinka TV crew while they were covering a demolition exercise at Laboma Beach in Accra.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, during an ongoing exercise by a government task force to remove structures within the protected buffer zone of the Kpeshie Lagoon.
According to the MFWA, journalist Philip Abutiate and cameraman Bernard Gyamfi arrived at the site and identified themselves to a private security officer before requesting an interview with a member of management.
They were reportedly told that journalists were not allowed onto the premises and were advised to move across the road if they wanted to film.
The two journalists complied and began recording a stand-up about the demolition. However, moments later, two men suspected to be security personnel approached them and demanded that they stop filming.
Abutiate told the MFWA that one of the men grabbed him, smashed his microphone and slammed it onto the ground, while the other forcibly took the camera from Gyamfi.
He said one of the men also attempted to seize his phone and shoved him into the road.
“He became very violent and very confrontational. He was shoving me, pushing me. When he realised we were recording him again, the two of them retreated, and we left,” Abutiate told the MFWA.
The MFWA said the security personnel also attempted to seize the phone of Atinka TV journalist Ohenenana Ofori Amanfo, who had witnessed the incident and was recording the confrontation from a distance.
The media watchdog described the incident as a serious violation of press freedom and the public’s right to information.
It cited Article 21(1)(a) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, including freedom of the press and other media.
The MFWA has called on the Ghana Police Service to investigate the incident and ensure accountability if wrongdoing is established.
It has also urged the management of Laboma Beach to identify the security personnel involved, hold them accountable and cooperate with the police investigation.
The MFWA stressed that while restrictions on media access may be imposed where lawful and proportionate, such restrictions do not justify physical assault, intimidation or the destruction of journalists’ equipment.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Mavis Fantevi
