Renowned Ghanaian artist and founder of the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA), Ibrahim Mahama, has indicated that he is seriously considering legal action against members of the Inspector-General of Police’s Special Operations Team — following an alleged assault by the unit.
Speaking at a press conference in Tamale on Monday, March 23, 2026, Mr Mahama described the decision to pursue legal redress as inevitable and one that extends beyond his personal ordeal.
“Certainly, we are considering legal action. It’s very important. It’s a no-brainer. We have to do it,” he stated.
“It’s not for me, but it’s actually for everyone else because if this could happen to me, as well-known as I am, then what about the people on the street? Who’s going to speak for that person? So, we have to do it for the benefit of the collective society that we’re in.”
Mr Mahama recounted that the incident, which he said occurred on Saturday morning while he was returning from the mosque in Tamale, left him with serious injuries that have severely disrupted his life and career.
He detailed the extent of his injuries, saying his lips were badly bruised, three of his teeth were broken, and he had developed sores in his mouth, making it impossible for him to eat solid food in recent days.
“That evening, I was meant to travel to the UK because I had to go and give some lectures in some schools from Cambridge to Oxford to the Royal College in London, and also continue to Helsinki for work and then to Amsterdam and then to South Africa before coming home,” he explained.
“But all those trips have to be cancelled, and I don’t think I can even travel for the next month… Currently, it has put my entire life on hold.”
The acclaimed artist and CEO of Red Clay also expressed deep concern over what he described as a pattern of alleged brutality by the Black Maria unit.
“Of course, we’ve heard many stories about the same unit and the brutalities,” he said. “That’s why they could say that we could kill you and nothing will happen.”
He warned that unchecked actions of this nature could discourage young Ghanaians from contributing to national development and ultimately drive talent away from the country.
“If at the end of the day, through these brutal actions, a lot of us young people will not feel like we need to stay in a place like this, then it’s rather on the bad side of justice,” Mr Mahama added.
The Special Operations team popularly known as Black Maria has denied the allegations, insisting that the encounter took place during a routine traffic enforcement operation. According to the unit, the incident involved a driver who allegedly refused to comply with police directives.
The team has also released a video clip purportedly showing a man identified as Mr Mahama’s uncle pleading with officers at the scene.
Mr Mahama, however, dismissed the footage as manipulated and edited to “garner public sympathy” for the police.
