NPP communicator questions arrests of social media activists

By – Prosper Adaakai

A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Team, Maxwell Aburiya, has criticised the government over what he described as the alleged arrest of 25 social media activists under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama in less than 24 months

Speaking on the Sunrise Morning Show on GBC URA Radio in Bolgatanga, Mr. Aburiya argued that the arrests risk creating the perception that legitimate criticism of government policies and programmes is being restricted

His comments come amid renewed national debate over the regulation of social media and emerging digital platforms

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) says it documented 14 arrests linked to the application of Ghana’s “false news” laws within the first 16 months of President Mahama’s administration. The cases involved presenters, journalists, TikTokers, bloggers, political activists and other citizens

The documented cases include Alfred Ababio Kumi, two TikTokers Priscilla Duah Birago and Charity Dede Tetteh, Mahama Aminat, Pastor William Gyimah, Isaac Boafo (“Duabo King”), Camilla Alhassan, among others

There were additional arrests after that 14-case MFWA count, including two content creators, Issaka Yahaya (Nsem Fie TV) and Godfred Ansu Damoah, arrested in July 2026 over a video involving President Mahama

Mahama Aminat was also arrested in May and subsequently re-arrested in July 2026, but that should not automatically be counted as two different activists

President Mahama has recently called for a national stakeholder engagement involving the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to address hate speech, abusive online content and responsible digital communication, while protecting legitimate criticism and freedom of expression

Mr. Aburiya, while criticising the arrests, commended President Mahama for initiating the dialogue and involving media and security stakeholders in finding an appropriate approach to emerging threats associated with anonymous social media accounts

Source – gbcuraonline.com