News
Don’t Joke with COVID-19, it is real – Dr Ebenezer Oduro Mensah
The Medical Superintendent at Ga-East Municipal Hospital, one of the frontline hospitals treating coronavirus patients in the country, Dr Ebenezer Oduro Mensah has cautioned Ghanaians against taking the pandemic lightly.
According to him, as a frontliner, and from the patients’ experience, the virus is real, and for that matter, Ghanaians should desist from downplaying the impact on one’s life after contracting the disease.
“COVID-19 exists, a lot of people have been infected with it, and we have unfortunately lost loved ones who would have been alive if not for the virus. Let’s not joke with it, it is real. We should focus on prevention and stay alive,” he said.
Speaking to The Spectator, he appealed to Ghanaians to adhere to the directive to wear face masks to help stop the spread because it is crucial in the combat against the deadly virus.
“When you wear the face mask and you are infected with COVID-19, the likelihood that you will spread the virus is significantly minimised,” he said.
Explaining further, he said, Ghanaians should always remember that the main mode of spread is when one coughs, sneezes, talks or sings, and droplets come out of the mouth or nostrils into the environment.
“Once you are wearing face mask, it is less likely you will spread these droplets to infect others by landing on the face. We should always use our mask once we are out,” he added.
Dr Mensah, said, to overcome the novel virus, Ghanaians should adhere to the protocols, to stay home, avoid crowded areas, wear nose mask, use hand sanitiser and observe personal hygiene among others.
These, he said reduced the risk of contracting the disease, for one to be on the safer side.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
