Mr Ibrahim Mahama, an Artist and Founder of Red Clay Studios and Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, has said he will pursue legal action against the Ghana Police Service following an alleged assault on him by some Police officers.
He said the legal action was to hold the Police officers accountable to protect other citizens from similar treatment.
He announced this at a press conference in Tamale, where he presented a firsthand account of the assault and the physical injuries he sustained.
Mr Mahama said the assault occurred on Saturday, March 21, after he and his family attended Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in Tamale.
He said he left home with his family in their institution’s bus, branded Red Clay, intending to pray at the Ambariyya Mosque.
He said on the way, he learnt that prayers at Ambariyya Mosque had ended, prompting them to divert to St. Paul’s School, Tamale.
He said upon arrival at St. Paul’s School, heavy traffic made movement extremely difficult, and he asked his family to get down and pray while he and his uncle found a place to park the bus before joining them.
He said that after prayers, his uncle suggested leaving before the crowd dispersed to avoid worsening traffic.
Mr Mahama said some Police officers tried to push through the traffic but failed, and he instructed his uncle to take a back road
He said they reached a T-junction near Mariam Hotel, where they were ahead of a red bus trying to turn towards NOBISCO School.
He said he then asked his uncle to reverse slightly to make room for the bus, noting there were children on board and many other vehicles were behind them.
Mr Mahama explained that suddenly, Police vehicles appeared, blocking the opposite direction, and one officer aggressively shouted at drivers to move back to allow passage.
He said his uncle attempted to explain the traffic situation, but the officers insulted him and started hitting the bus, adding that some of the Police officers who wore vests from the unit known as Black Maria put their hands through the bus window and started punching his uncle.
He said he started to record the incident, but the officers accused him of agitating them and trying to incriminate them and therefore punched him, thereby breaking his two front teeth instantly.
He said they were taken to a Police Station at Sakasaka, where officers demanded he unlock his phone to delete photos and videos, which he initially refused but eventually complied under duress.
He said the assault caused bruised lips, broken teeth, and sores in his mouth, preventing him from travelling for planned lectures in the United Kingdom, Helsinki, Amsterdam, and South Africa, putting his work and life on hold.
He demanded justice and called for the disbanding of the Black Maria to prevent further attacks on innocent citizens.
