A disturbing video making the airwaves has prompted the intervention of the military police. The CCTV footage, which has since gone viral, shows a man of muscular build assaulting a young male pharmacist and a young woman in a pharmacy shop.

The incident is said to have taken place at Burma Camp in Accra earlier this week. In the widely circulated video footage, the tall, dark-complexioned, angry man was seen slapping the pharmacist.

The attacker, whose name has been given as Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Mensah Williams of the Ghana Air Force, was further seen attacking the woman with several blows to her head after she attempted to record. Despite the intervention of bystanders, Mensah Williams continued the assault.

In response to the appalling incident, the military police have arrested Mensah Williams. He is in the custody of the Cantonments Police for further investigation and possible prosecution. The video has since sparked intense debate on social media, with scores of Ghanaians calling for swift and firm disciplinary action against the soldier.

According to reports, the assaulted lady is the daughter of the former Provost Marshal of the Military Police. The Provost is essentially a senior military officer responsible for law enforcement, discipline, and security within the armed forces.

He coordinates or oversees all investigations into crimes involving military personnel. Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has condemned the act, assuring “the general public that it will not condone any acts of assault on civilians and will not shield any soldier engaged in such.”

In recent years, Ghana has recorded several assaults by security personnel, particularly those affiliated with the military. Earlier this month, residents of Bawku in the Upper East Region recounted terrifying encounters with military personnel, accusing them of using guns, stones, and metal objects to assault civilians during a late-night operation.

On the night of Tuesday, March 18, heavily armed soldiers reportedly stormed homes in Bawku, conducting forced searches and physically assaulting residents. This military action is said to have been triggered by the fatal shooting of a Ghana Armed Forces officer on Monday, March 17. Reports indicate that the officer was ambushed and killed by unidentified gunmen while walking on foot.

In July, the statue of the Bawku Naba, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, was allegedly destroyed by some members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) during a confrontation with locals in Bawku, Upper East Region.

The statue, which was erected in 2024 in honour of the Zugraan (Overlord) of the Kusaug Traditional Area, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II—a culturally revered figure in Bawku—served as a strong emblem of tradition and communal pride.

The reconstruction of the statue is expected to begin in the coming days, following a directive from His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama. Then Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, in collaboration with other security agencies, were tasked with overseeing the process as well as restoring calm in the area.

This information was made known by the then Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, at a durbar with all ranks of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) at the Burma Camp on Wednesday, July 17.

“To assure that His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), remains committed to bringing an end to decades-old conflict.

“To address the recent happenings, the National Security Coordinator, myself, the Minister for the Interior, the Chief of the Defence Staff, and the IGP have all been tasked to play coordinated but differentiated roles to ensure that peace and calm are restored immediately, and this includes the restoration of the statue of the Zugraan of the Kusasis Traditional Area,” he added.

The recent altercation in Bawku has reportedly led to the deaths of five locals. On Tuesday, July 15, some Members of Parliament in the Upper East area called for the prosecution of the soldiers involved and compensation for the victims.