West Africa: Content Creator Accused of Threatening President in Viral Video Granted Bail

22 May 2026
Media Foundation for West Africa (Accra)

The Accra Circuit Court 2 on Friday, 22 May 2026, granted TikTok content creator Mahama Aminat, also known as Akosua Serwaa Aminat, bail of GH₵1 million (about US$86,000) with two sureties over alleged threats directed at President John Mahama and the First Lady, Lordina Mahama.

As part of the bail conditions, Aminat is required to submit her passport or Ghana Card to the Ghana Police Service and report regularly to the station for questioning. One of the sureties must be a civil servant who earns not less than GH₵5,000 a month (about US$430).

Aminat was arrested on Tuesday, 20 May 2026 at Sekyere Zongo in the Sekyere Kumawu District of the Ashanti Region, after videos surfaced on TikTok in which she allegedly made the offending remarks.

On Thursday, 21 May 2026, the Ghana Police Service announced on their social media pages the arrest of Mahama Aminat (who also goes by the name "Bawumia Ba") for making insulting remarks about the President, threatening his life, and inciting others to harm both him and the First Lady in videos posted on TikTok.

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The joint operation was carried out by the Inspector-General of Police's Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team (CVET) and the Surveillance Unit of the National Operations Department, following the circulation of the videos online on 19 May.

At arraignment, prosecutors alleged that Aminat had released videos containing "offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace," "incitement of public hostility" and "electronic death threats," with some videos calling on individuals to harm the President.

Counsel for the accused, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, described the case as a misdemeanour and the bail conditions as excessive.

While reiterating its support for freedom of expression and for civil rather than criminal remedies in speech-related disputes, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) strongly condemns threats of violence against public officials or any other person, and urges social media users, particularly content creators, to exercise responsibility and refrain from hostile or dangerous speech.

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