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Gender Ministry condemns video of child forced to smoke
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has condemned a viral video that shows a group of men forcing a young child to smoke a cigarette.
The Ministry described the act as abuse and a violation of the child’s rights.
It explained that exposing a child to harmful substances is an offence under Ghana’s Children’s Act, which requires that all children be protected from physical, psychological, and moral harm.
The incident, according to the Ministry, also goes against the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy, which calls for children to be raised in safe and nurturing environments.
The Ministry cautioned parents, guardians, caregivers, and the public to uphold their responsibility to protect children from harm.
It stressed that actions that endanger children are unacceptable and punishable by law.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection referred the video to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service for immediate action.
The Ministry urged the police to move quickly to arrest and prosecute those involved.
With the world approaching the end of the 16 Days of Activism against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, the Ministry called on families, traditional leaders, religious groups, and civil society to intensify efforts to prevent violence and protect vulnerable people, especially women and children.
It said the incident is a reminder of the urgent need to shield children from all forms of abuse, adding that the protection of children is a shared duty for everyone.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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
