Renowned Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has alleged that a police commander, DSP Bawah Abdul Jalil, failed to intervene during an incident in which he was allegedly assaulted.
Speaking in an interview on Citi FM, Mahama stated that although the officer did not physically take part in the assault, he was present at the scene from the beginning near the Mariam Hotel in Tamale and remained there until they arrived at the police station.
“He was not physically involved in the assault, but all the men were acting under his command because he was on site from the very beginning until we went to the police station,” Mahama said.
He recounted how the incident unfolded, claiming the situation escalated after an encounter at the Mariam Hotel.
“He was there at the scene when the whole thing happened, and when we went to the police station, we were in a police pickup behind his car. We were driven there and asked to take off our clothes because mine were covered in blood,” he alleged.
Mahama further claimed that the assault continued at the police station, where officers allegedly pressured him to delete a video he had recorded.
“The officers continued to assault me because they wanted me to delete the video they thought I was taking of them when they started hitting the car. That was what they were actually annoyed about,” he added.
He maintained that the commander was fully aware of the situation and failed to take steps to stop it.
“For me, it wasn’t a matter of whether he hit us or not. Everything happened under his command. If he wanted it to stop, it would have stopped—but that was not what happened. He knew it was me,” he stated.
Mahama also claimed that DSP Bawah Abdul Jalil knew him personally and was familiar with his family but still did not intervene.
However, the claims contrast with an earlier account by the police team, which denied that any assault occurred. According to the officers, the incident arose during a traffic enforcement operation that escalated after a driver allegedly obstructed the road and failed to comply with instructions.
Police further indicated that their actions were aimed at preventing a possible mob situation, adding that those involved were arrested for offensive conduct and later released into the custody of their father.
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