NADMO staff mistaken for journalist severely beaten by okada riders

The NADMO officer was attacked while interrogating an accident victim

A Staff of the National Disaster Management Organization(NADMO) in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region has been severely beaten by a mob of 15 young men believed to be Commercial Motorbike Riders popularly know as Okada after he was mistaken for Journalist.

The incident occurred Wednesday, August 7, 2019 around 5pm.

The victim, Kwaku Obuobi Appiah, who is the Ayensuano District Operations Officer of NADMO was attacked by the Okada riders while interrogating an accident victim crashed by a speeding Okada Rider on the Teacher Mante stretch of the Accra to Kumasi Highway.

The accident victim who is a driver’s mate was crossing the road after assisting a child passenger to safely cross the highway road but was unfortunately knocked down by the speeding Okada rider leading to a fractured leg.

The NADMO staff who was returning from work met the accident, therefore, decided to take records to report to his office but was beaten mercilessly by the Okada riders who had rushed to the scene.

According to Kwaku Obuobi, they mistook him for a journalist though he verbally attempted to introduce himself as NADMO staff which the mob wouldn’t listen.

“I tried to introduce myself as staff of NADMO but they wouldn’t listen. They just pounced on me slapped me, kicked me then I fell down. So apart from the body pains I suffered bruises on my hand. They seized my phone and after noticing that I have not taken any picture and recorded anything they handed it over to me.”

He has since been treated and discharged by a Clinic at Nsawam Adoayiri Thursday Morning. He is however yet to report to the Police.

The Okada riders in the area are reportedly not to be happy about the negative reportage by the media which the say has led frustration by the Police in the area.