This is the face of the man who assaulted JOYNEWS digital journalist Sally Martey during violent scenes at the Ablekuma North constituency parliamentary rerun on Friday 11 July 2025.
The man, wearing a cloth mask that partially concealed his face, turned deliberately toward Sally as she walked near the St. Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station, approached her from behind, and launched a vicious and unprovoked attack, slapping her and shoving her forcefully.
“I did nothing. He just came at me and attacked me,” a shaken Sally recounted after the incident.
Sally Martey, known for her extensive on-the-ground coverage of major protests and political events in Accra, was on assignment to report on the rerun when the assault occurred. The attacker was believed to be part of a group of well-coordinated thugs who stormed the polling station, disrupting the voting process.
The attack on Sally is just one of several disturbing incidents recorded during Friday’s exercise. Earlier, a GHOne TV journalist was also assaulted—this time by a police officer. The officer involved has since been interdicted and referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau.
In a separate incident that has since gone viral, former Fisheries Minister and Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, was physically assaulted and pushed to the ground by a group of unidentified men during the chaos.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) other media advocacy groups have strongly condemned the attacks, calling them cowardly and a direct threat to press freedom and democracy.
With the rerun marred by violent disruptions, media watchdogs and election observers have warned of a dangerous trend of rising hostility toward journalists in Ghana’s democratic space.
JOYNEWS condemns attack on its journalist
JOYNEWS where Sally works has condemned the attack on her. Here is the full text of a statement it issued in Accra on Friday.
“JOYNEWS strongly condemns the assault of one of our journalists by an unknown thug during the Ablekuma North constituency rerun. The journalist, who was on the ground to carry out her legitimate duties as a member of the press, was attacked without provocation while covering the electoral process.”
“This attack is an affront not just to JOYNEWS, but to press freedom and democracy in Ghana. No journalist should be intimidated, harassed, or assaulted for doing their job, especially during such a critical civic exercise as an election.”
“We call on the Ghana Police Service to swiftly investigate this incident and bring the perpetrator to justice. We also urge the Electoral Commission and all political stakeholders to ensure the safety and security of media professionals at all polling centres.”
“JOYNEWS remains committed to upholding the public’s right to timely, accurate, and impartial information. We will not be deterred by acts of intimidation.”