Media personality and political activist Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah was arrested by police on Sunday, July 12, following clashes that erupted during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) constituency executive elections at Afigya Sekyere East in the Ashanti Region.
The incident occurred at the polling centre in Wiamoase, where voting proceeded despite reports of a court injunction intended to halt the exercise.
According to witnesses, Afrifa arrived at the venue to serve the court injunction on deployed police officers. Armed officers reportedly prevented him from accessing the polling station and took him into custody.
Videos circulating on social media showed Afrifa being escorted into a police vehicle, which subsequently left the scene. The arrest led to a confrontation between police and some of his supporters, with several members of his team also reportedly arrested.
Gunshots were heard as officers moved to disperse the crowd and restore order. It remained unclear whether the shots were fired as warning shots or if any injuries resulted from them, beyond reports that Afrifa appeared injured during his transfer to custody.
The disturbance caused a brief disruption at the polling station, prompting the reinforcement of heavily armed security personnel.
As of the latest reports, the Ashanti North Regional Police Command had not issued an official statement on the arrest or the status of the reported court injunction. Afrifa was said to have been taken to the Mampong Divisional Police Station, where he remained in custody.