Popular Ghanaian blogger Sika Official and activist Ralph St. Williams were reportedly assaulted by military personnel while covering the ongoing demolition exercise at La Pleasure Beach in Accra on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The two were among media personalities and members of the public at the site as the demolition exercise continued, when tensions reportedly escalated between some soldiers and people covering the operation.
According to reports from the scene, Ralph St. Williams was documenting the exercise when he was confronted by a military officer and allegedly ordered to move back.
Ralph, who was also reportedly struck by a military officer, expressed his frustration over the incident, insisting that he had been complying with instructions while carrying out his work.
“Come on mehn. I’m working and you come and whip me. I’m respecting your orders… reporting on what’s happening and you come and whip me. What you did wasn’t right,” he said while addressing the military officer involved.
Sika Official was also reportedly confronted by soldiers, with footage from the scene purportedly showing a military personnel using a rod to hit the blogger while repeatedly ordering him to move away from the area.
He questioned the justification for using force against someone who was documenting an ongoing public exercise.
“Even in war zones, journalists are being protected. So seeing a military officer assault a journalist here is unprofessional,” Ralph said.
The incident reportedly occurred as soldiers sought to push journalists, bloggers and others further away from the demolition site.
Some traders and workers present at the site were also reportedly involved in confrontations during the exercise, with accounts emerging of other alleged assaults as authorities attempted to enforce the demolition.
The confrontation has sparked concerns about the treatment of journalists and media workers who were at the location to document the exercise.
The demolition exercise at La Pleasure Beach remains ongoing as authorities clear structures from the area.
