Lockdown: TV Africa journalist assaulted by military officer

All attempts by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to crave the indulgence of security personnel in the country to be patient and professional while enforcing the lockdown, seem to have fallen on death ears, as a TV African journalist has savagely been assaulted by a uniformed military man.

The unexpected incident happened on Friday, April 10, 2020, at Olebu in the Ga Central Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, when Samuel Adobah, was carrying his journalistic duties.

Apparently, Samuel Adobah had been assigned to the Olebu community to cover a fire outbreak incident.

Whiles on his duty, men in military uniform onboard an ‘Operation Calm Life’ vehicle with registration 49 GA 68 arrived to drive members of the community who had gathered at the scene away in accordance with the lockdown rules.

After showing his staff Identity Card to the military men, Mr. Adobah said he was allowed by one of the military men to go on with the coverage. Few minutes into the coverage, however, another member of the military crew who was later identified only as Damfour, suddenly slapped Mr. Adobah from behind as he fell flat on the ground.

Whiles on the floor, the officer pounced upon him and handed him severe beatings. Not even the plea from residents who shouted “he is a journalist” could stop the “soldier” from perpetrating the act. He rather took Mr. Adobah’s phone from him, smashed the screen on the floor and trampled on it several times, damaging it completely.

Soon after meting out the brutalities, the military men jumped into their vehicle and sped off. It took the intervention of the residents to lift the victim up from the ground.

Attempts by Mr. Adobah to make an official report at the Anyaa Police Station was initially frustrated by a lady officer at the counter. It took the efforts of other TV Africa reporters who had rushed to the police station upon hearing of the incident for a formal complaint to be made at the Anyaa Police Station.

Mr. Adobah who complained of severe headache and body pains from the beatings has since visited the hospital treatment and is recuperating.