Gunmen Abduct Journalist Accused of Making False Claims about President

On August 12, 2025, unidentified armed men abducted Akyemkwaa Nana Kofi Asare, a presenter with Wontumi TV, in Ejisu Krapa in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

Eyewitnesses reported that the men arrived in unmarked vehicles, fired warning shots, and chased the journalist as he attempted to flee. The hooded assailants forcibly put him into a waiting pickup truck and drove off without revealing their identities or intentions. His whereabouts remained unknown for several hours until colleagues later said he was being held at the Police Headquarters in Accra.

The abduction occurred three days after Asare made on-air allegations that President John Dramani Mahama was linked to a recent fatal military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight people including the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation.

On the day of the abduction, Wontumi TV issued a public apology to President Mahama and the general public. The station described the remarks as “inappropriate, unfounded, and contrary” to its editorial standards, stressing that the allegations were made without evidence and did not reflect its policies. Management promised disciplinary action against the presenter and said editorial guidelines had been reinforced to ensure content is based only on verified facts.

The whereabouts of the journalist were uncertain until it was revealed by one of his colleagues that the journalist was being held at the Police headquarters in Accra less than 24 hours after the abduction.