You will be beaten, your intestines ripped out – Owusu Bempah threatens Afrifa-Mensah

”You are a little boy. My lawyer is supposed to give you a court document and I will have people beat you and tear out your intestines. I’m not a saint”. Bempah said

Bempah further challenged Afrifa-Mensah to reveal his whereabouts so that they could settle their differences in a violent confrontation.

Tension between the two appears to have escalated after Afrifa-Mensah made critical remarks about Rev. Owusu Bempah on his morning show.

Dangers for journalists in Ghana: Growing threats ranging from intimidation to murder

Journalists in Ghana face significant threats, especially when covering sensitive topics such as corruption, politics and illegal activities. These threats can range from intimidation and harassment to physical violence and, in some cases, murder. Ghana has long been considered a model of press freedom in West Africa, but recent developments suggest that the situation is becoming increasingly precarious for media professionals.

One of the most notable cases is the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale in January 2019. Hussein-Suale was a key member of the Tiger Eye Private Investigations investigative team, led by renowned journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. He was shot dead in broad daylight after his identity was revealed by a serving MP, who publicly incited violence against him. Hussein-Suale had been involved in exposing high-level corruption within the Ghana Football Federation, and his death shocked the nation and sparked widespread international condemnation.

Other journalists in Ghana have reported being harassed, detained or threatened while covering political events or reporting misconduct. For example, investigative journalists like Manasseh Azure Awuni have been threatened after uncovering corruption scandals involving government officials. Awuni fled the country in 2019 for security reasons following his expose on militias allegedly linked to the ruling party.

The case of Joy News journalist Latif Iddrisu also highlights the dangers journalists face. He was beaten by police officers in 2018 while covering a protest outside police headquarters in Accra. Despite public outcry, such incidents have contributed to a growing sense of fear among journalists, making it harder to hold those in power to account.

These threats undermine the role of the media in Ghana’s democracy, thereby posing a serious challenge to press freedom. While Ghana featured highly in the World Press Freedom Index in previous years, concerns have been raised over the country’s downward trend in maintaining journalist safety and independence media.

Efforts to protect journalists remain critical, particularly with the Ghana Journalists Association and civil society groups advocating for stronger protections and accountability for crimes committed against media workers.