A staff member of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL), Aliu Mahama, has been assaulted by some police officers from the Nungua Police Station after he was mistaken for an armed robber at GREDA Estate in Accra.

Mr Mahama, who works with the Transport Unit of GCGL, said the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on Monday (July 13, 2026) when he had gone out to buy kenkey for his children.

“After buying the kenkey and trying to contact my children to come and collect the food, I saw a vehicle coming.

When it got closer, one man suddenly jumped out of it and ordered me to lie on the ground.

Before I realised what was happening, one person used a stick to hit my head, and I fell,” he narrated.

“They told me I was an armed robber and asked me to raise my hands.

They said if I did not cooperate, they would shoot me. One of them even cocked the gun,” Mr Mahama added.

He said he attempted to convince the officers to follow him to his house, which was only a few houses away, so his family and neighbours could identify him, but the police officers refused.

Mr Mahama said the men were dressed in black clothing and arrived in a white Toyota pickup vehicle without police markings.

“After they attacked me, they handcuffed me and took me away.

During the journey, I kept telling them I was not a robber, but nobody listened to me,” he said.

Mr Mahama said that while still in handcuffs, they took him to Zongo Junction and left him in the vehicle for about three hours while they stood stopping taxis.

Assault

Mr Mahama further alleged that he was assaulted whenever he tried to explain himself.

“Any time I opened my mouth to explain, they did not want to listen.

They slapped me and hit me.

They did not give me the chance to speak,” he added, saying, “When they got me out of the vehicle after we arrived at the Nungua Police Station, they ordered me to lie down. 

“They kicked my leg and started beating me with what felt like a metal object all over my body,” he said.

Mr Mahama said his brother later arrived at the station after the police contacted him.

He said a woman at the station later intervened after listening to his explanation.

He said when he went to report the matter at the Nungua Police Station yesterday, he was able to identify some of the officers involved.

“One of them had spoken to my daughter earlier and gave her his number.

When I got the number from my daughter, I realised he was the driver of the vehicle,” Mr Mahama said, adding, “He was the one who hit my head with the stick.”

“When I saw him at the station, I told them he was part of those who beat me,” he said.

Mr Mahama said that after his report, the Station Commander later invited the officers involved to explain what happened.

“They brought the driver and another officer. When they were asked who beat me, they denied responsibility,” he said.

He said he was later taken to another office where his complaint was heard.

Medical report

The Resident Medical Officer of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Dr Jacqui Barnes, who is treating Mr Mahama, said the patient reported with complaints of headache, pain in both eyes and general bodily pains following an assault.

On examination, Dr Barnes said there was swelling around his eyes and also bleeding in both eyes, with the left eye more affected than the right.

“The patient has a haematoma, or a collection of blood under the skin, on the posterior part of the right thigh, accompanied by a superficial laceration. Another haematoma was observed on the outer side of the left thigh,” she said.

Aliu Mahama, who works with the Transport Unit of Graphic, said the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on Monday (July 13, 2026) when he had gone out to buy kenkey for his children. Following the assault by the policemen, he had a haematoma, or a collection of blood under the skin, on the posterior part of the right thigh, accompanied by a superficial laceration. Another haematoma was observed on the outer side of the left thigh. There was swelling around his eyes and also bleeding in both eyes, with the left eye more affected than the right.

Dr Barnes said she also identified a small swelling on the scalp, measuring approximately two centimetres in diameter, which the patient identified as the area where he was allegedly struck with a stick.

“The patient will be treated with eye drops, injections, muscle relaxants and pain medication.

He will be monitored for the next 24 hours to assess his condition and response to treatment,” she said.