A confrontation between a journalist and fire service personnel at the scene of the Kasoa New Market in the Central Region has escalated into a formal police investigation, raising urgent questions about press freedom and the conduct of state security agencies in Ghana.
Samuel Addo, a journalist with the Class Media Group, was allegedly assaulted, had his phone seized, and was robbed of a sum of 10,200 cedis out of 20,000 cedis while covering the aftermath of a fire at the Kasoa New Market on January 5, 2026.
According to Addo, the incident occurred after he returned to the scene on Monday morning to follow up on a fire that had broken out the previous day. After filing a report for a morning show, he approached the fire service personnel to obtain their side of the story.
According to Addo, upon arrival at their stationed position, he witnessed officers assaulting civilians. When he took out his phone to record the scene, a young fire officer approached him.
After identifying himself as a media person, the officer walked away, only to return minutes later with approximately 10 colleagues. Addo alleges the group then physically attacked him.
“They held my neck, pulled my hands behind my back, and assaulted me,” Addo said.
The officers allegedly seized his mobile phone and tore his belt, taking both items away. Later, Addo discovered his bag had been opened and GHS10,200 was missing from a total of GHS20,000 he was carrying.
Through the intervention of the area’s Member of Parliament, Phyllis Naa Koryor, Addo’s phone was returned. He has since filed an official police report and been issued a medical form to seek treatment for his injuries. The missing cash remains unrecovered.
The reaction to the incident has highlighted a conflict between the journalist’s testimony and the official position of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
The GNFS has denied allegations of assault. Desmond Ackah, the National Public Relations Officer, stated that personnel only seized Addo’s phone because he was “recording an altercation at the fire scene without permission”. Ackah stressed the officers’ actions were “not intended to harm the journalist” and were within their mandate to manage a tense situation.
In its official statements, the GNFS suggested that a viral video from the scene actually depicted firefighters confronting a suspected thief, not the journalist. The Service has confirmed that a police investigation is underway and that it has formed an internal committee to probe the incident.
The Class Media Group has expressed “deep concern” and called for a “swift and impartial investigation”. In a statement, the group said such incidents “threaten press freedom and the safety of journalists” and undermine Ghana’s credibility as a defender of media rights.
