Woman arrested for threatening President John Mahama on TikTok

• Police have arrested a woman over viral TikTok videos allegedly threatening President John Dramani Mahama and his wife.

• The suspect, Mahama Aminat, was arrested in the Ashanti Region after police tracked her through a joint operation.

• The arrest has sparked renewed debate over free speech and online expression in Ghana.

According to a police statement, the suspect, identified as Mahama Aminat, also known as Akosua Serwaa Minat, was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team (CVET) for offensive conduct and alleged threats against the President.

Police said the suspect appeared in several videos circulated on social media in which she allegedly made insulting remarks about President Mahama, threatened his life, and incited others to attack both the President and his wife.

Following the circulation of the videos online, a joint operation involving the CVET and the Surveillance Unit of the National Operations Department reportedly tracked and arrested the suspect on May 20, 2026, at Sekyere Zongo in the Sekyere Kumawu District of the Ashanti Region.

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“The suspect was captured in some videos posted on TikTok making insulting remarks about the President, threatening the life of the President and inciting others to harm both the President and his wife,” the police statement said.

The suspect is in Police custody and will soon be arraigned.

The arrest comes amid growing public debate over freedom of speech and online expression under the current administration, particularly following recent arrests involving opposition figures and social media commentators.

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Former Vice President and 2028 Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia recently accused the Mahama administration of undermining free speech and intimidating members of the opposition through arrests and detentions.

Dr Bawumia cited the arrests of social media commentator David Essandoh and NPP Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, as examples of what he described as politically motivated intimidation.

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He argued that such actions risk setting Ghana’s democracy backwards and suppressing dissenting voices.

While some Ghanaians have welcomed police action against threats of violence targeting public officials, others insist authorities must strike a balance between enforcing the law and protecting constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression.

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The Ghana Police Service is yet to disclose the specific charges expected to be filed against the suspect.