President John Dramani Mahama has confirmed the interdiction of the Ghana National Fire Service officers involved in the assault of a Class Media journalist during coverage of a fire in Kasoa

The President described the incident as unacceptable and contrary to media freedom and professionalism, stressing that such behaviour does not reflect the values expected of security personnel.

Speaking on the assault on Thursday, January 8, he called for the reorientation of officers to ensure proper engagement with journalists, highlighting that both security personnel and reporters serve the public.

“There is no way we will tolerate the continued assault on journalists. We have engaged with the Ghana Journalists Association on these issues and will ensure they are in touch with the security services.

“Many of our security personnel need reorientation to understand that, just as they provide safety, journalists are also performing their duty to inform the public. They are not antagonists to each other; they are both serving the public,” President Mahama said.

President John Mahama

The journalist, Samuel Addo, was covering a fire outbreak at the Kasoa New Market on Monday, January 5, 2026, when he was reportedly physically confronted and manhandled by fire service officers attempting to prevent him from filming the scene.

A video captured by Citi News showed Addo being pushed amid the chaos, while some personnel shouted at him.

The fire began on Sunday, January 4, 2026, and the GNFS received the distress call at 4:50 p.m. The first fire tender arrived eight minutes later, by which time the fire had already reached an advanced stage.Source:Akosua Otchere