Renowned Ghanaian visual artist Ibrahim Mahama has been hospitalised following an alleged assault by a group said to be linked to a special police operations team known as “Black Maria” in Tamale.
The incident reportedly involved the founder of the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) and CEO of Red Clay Studio. He is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Tamale.
Speaking on the incident, Ibrahim Mahama described the encounter as a violation of his rights, alleging that the group forcibly accessed his phone and deleted images.
“They broke into our bus, forced me to open my phone and deleted the pictures. From the beginning to the end, everything was an assault,” he claimed.
Reacting to the development, the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf Mboridiba, assured the public that the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) would not tolerate any form of lawlessness.
He further indicated that the police command in the region is unaware of any such “Black Maria” team operating there and stressed that anyone found culpable would be dealt with according to the law.
“We cannot tolerate this kind of lawlessness in the region… anyone found culpable will be dealt with,” he stated.
Authorities have since launched investigations into the incident to establish the facts and identify those responsible.
