Private legal practitioner and broadcaster Samson Lardi Anyenini has strongly condemned the physical assault of a Class Media Group (CMG) journalist by officers of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), describing the incident as “absolutely barbaric” and a clear criminal breach of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The incident occurred on Monday, January 5, 2026, during a fire outbreak at the Kasoa New Market. In widely circulated video footage, fire officers are seen roughly handling the journalist, preventing him from filming the scene and forcefully taking his mobile phone.
An attack on constitutional rights
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, January 6, Mr Anyenini said the conduct displayed by the officers had no place in a democratic society.
He explained that Article 21(1)(f) of the Constitution guarantees the public’s right to information, stressing that journalists act on behalf of the people, who are the ultimate sovereigns of the state.
“It’s absolutely barbaric and should never be tolerated in this republic,” he said. “For officers to have the audacity to seize a journalist’s recording device is deeply disturbing.”
According to him, journalists carry a serious responsibility to inform the public, and any attempt to stop that work through intimidation or violence strikes at the heart of Ghana’s democracy.
Sharp criticism of GNFS leadership
Mr Anyenini also took aim at the Ghana National Fire Service’s Public Relations Officer, DO II Desmond Ackah, who reportedly attempted to justify the actions of the officers despite clear video evidence of the assault.
He described that response as worrying and suggested it raised serious questions about the PRO’s suitability for the role.
“If this officer remains at post, then that should concern all of us,” he said. “Someone who can see clear evidence and still defend such conduct is not fit to serve as a public relations officer for a state institution.”
He called for disciplinary action, including possible interdiction and retraining, to ensure accountability within the Service.
No permission needed to film
Addressing claims that the journalist needed authorisation to film the incident, Mr Anyenini was unequivocal.
“No law — not the Constitution, not any statute — requires a journalist to seek consent before recording events in a public space,” he said, adding that the fire outbreak occurred in full public view.
“Criminal acts in uniform”
Mr Anyenini stressed that even if a journalist were considered uncooperative, no emergency or security officer has the right to use physical force.
“Even law enforcement officers are not allowed to beat or assault suspects,” he noted. “So at every stage, what happened here was wrong. It was criminal.”
He urged the leadership of the Ghana National Fire Service to confront the matter directly, warning that failure to do so would undermine public trust and embolden further abuses against journalists carrying out their lawful duties.