The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) strongly condemns the attack, intimidation, and obstruction of journalists from Bullet TV by private security personnel while reporting on the demolition exercise at Laboma Beach in Accra on September 15, 2026.
The demolition is part of an ongoing exercise by a government task force to clear structures within the protected buffer zone of the Kpeshie Lagoon.
The journalist, Philip Abutiate, said that, upon arrival, he and the cameraman, Bernard Gyamfi, introduced themselves to a private security person on site and requested to interview a member of management about the demolition. They were informed that the media were not allowed onto the premises and were advised to move further away if they wished to film.
Abutiate and his cameraman complied and moved across the road to do a stand-up about the demolition. Moments later, two men, suspected to be security personnel at the site, approached them and demanded that they stop recording.
Abutiate reported that one of the men grabbed him, smashed his microphone, and slammed it on the floor, while the other forcibly took the camera from Gyamfi. The same man also tried to take Abutiate’s phone and shoved him into the road; he was not injured, as no vehicles were passing at the time.
“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 security men reportedly also attempted to seize the phone of a journalist from Atinka TV, Ohenenana Ofori Amanfo, who had witnessed and recorded the confrontation from a distance.
The MFWA notes with deep concern that journalists working in the interest of the public are met with aggression and hostility. The attack on Philip Abutiate and Bernard Gyamfi, the destruction of equipment, as well as the attempt by the personnel to prevent documentation of the incident by targeting another journalist constitutes a serious violation of press freedom and the public’s right to information.
Article 21(1)(a) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, including freedom of the press and other media. Obstructing journalists and destroying their equipment while they report on matters of public interest undermines this guarantee.
We call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate the reported incident and ensure accountability where wrongdoing is established. We further urge the management of Laboma Beach to identify the security personnel responsible, hold them to account, and cooperate fully with the police investigation.
The MFWA reiterates its longstanding call that journalists must be able to carry out their work without fear of violence, intimidation, or unlawful interference. Restrictions on media access, where necessary, must be lawful and proportionate, and cannot justify physical assault or the destruction of equipment.
