A journalist has narrated his ordeal in the hands of military officers during a joint Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and military operations in Akim Oda on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

Nicholas Morkah said his woes began when he started filming the military attack on a young man in front of the Akim Oda Post Office in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region.

“When one of them saw me filming them they rushed towards me and I told them I was a journalist but they went ahead to hit me severally and dragged me into their car with the other gentleman and drove downwards. They stopped and asked the gentleman to get down,” he narrated.

The journalist with the Akim Oda-based Akyemansa FM said he was sent to the barracks to meet their Commanding Officer and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service Officers who had come for an operation to seize about 16 cars particularly taxis that had entered the country without proper documentation.

At the barracks, his phones were seized, and all his files including crucial documents that he would need to complete several correspondences deleted.

“They inspected my other phone and saw some video materials of police officers, they watched it and perceived that I was an undercover journalist with powerful information so they sent me to the Divisional Police Command for further investigation and interrogations. Military Officer Kwadoe and Mohammed in the company of the other two officers took me to Akim Oda Police Headquarters,” Mr. Morkah noted.

Subsequently, he was granted a GH5000.00 bail after writing his statement.

Nicholas Morkah visited the Oda Government Hospital to seek medical attention.

Read his full account below

A JOURNALIST TOLD HIS STORY ON HOW SECURITY MEN IN UNIFORM ATTACKED HIM DURING JOINT CEPS AND MILITARY OPERATIONS IN AKIM ODA  

Incident

I was riding on a bike to an event and on my way I saw a large crowd in front of the Akim Oda Post Office in the Birim Central Municipality of Eastern region. As a journalist, I stopped to find out what was happening. All of a sudden I saw about five (5) military officers fully armed from the Achiase Jungle warfare training school moving fast towards a young man and caught him up. They started beating him up and I found it to be bizarre so I decided to take a video of it for records with my phone. When one of them saw me filming them they rushed towards me and I told them I was a journalist but they went ahead to hit me severally and dragged me into their car with the other gentleman and drove downwards. They stopped and asked the gentleman to get down.

 At the barracks:

They took me to their barracks to meet their Commanding Officer and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service Officers who had come for an operation to seize about 16 cars particularly taxis that had entered the country without proper documentation (Togo Cars).

The Commanding Officer asked for my identification card and I provided it. He then asked one of the officers to set my phone to factory reset. They cleared all my stored informations including my crucial documents that I will need to complete several correspondences. They inspected my other phone and saw some video materials of police officers, they watched it and perceived that I was an undercover journalist with powerful information so they sent me to the Divisional Police Command for further investigation and interrogations. Military Officer Kwadoe and Mohammed in the company of other two officers took me to Akim Oda Police Headquarters.

At the Divisional Police Headquarters

At the police headquarters, the military officers handed me over to the station officer. I was cautioned and I made my statement.  The station officer charged me with Offensive Conduct.  He took possession of the phones. I obtained a police bail from Hon. Nelson Ntiamoah at a sum of GH5000.00 and asked to report the next day at noon. I requested for my sim card and a medical form to seek medical attention and it was given to me. I was treated and discharged same day at the Oda Government Hospital.

 Updates

I wish to state that I am recovering from the trauma, brutality, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment in the hands of the military officers.

I wish to thank all my sympathizers and asked them to remain calm as we work together to ensure that Ghana become fully civilised democratic country.

I am not perturbed by the intimidation but I am rather strengthened and hardened by their actions to give my best to mother Ghana.

The intimidation citizens experience in all walks of life have killed advocacy, patriotism, and innovative ways to bring the needed development we seek as a country.

Nevertheless, God will always at one point have someone to speak to power and authority within the confines of the laws to bring sanity and confidence of the citizenry.

Finally, I wish to ask the Customs Excise and Preventive Officers that, was the operations in the interest of the Republic as we anticipated?

I challenge the CEPs and it’s operational team to publish all details of the cars they have pounded in Akim Oda since 2020 as transparency is one of their core values.

I, Nicholas Morkah, will not stop from being the mouthpiece of the voiceless and to advocate for a true democracy.