BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The Ghana Police Service has launched a sweeping crackdown on suspected vigilante gang in Dawuranpong after a disturbing video showing two young women being brutalised went viral, prompting widespread public outrage and renewed calls for stronger community protection measures.
The incident, captured on mobile phones and circulated across multiple social media platforms, showed armed young men subjecting the victims to degrading and cruel treatment, including the use of a razor blade to cut through their scalps.
According to police sources, this latest assault appears to form part of a growing trend of lawless groups taking justice into their own hands, a matter that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has repeatedly warned against.
In the past two years, the police have intensified efforts to curb mob justice and community-sanctioned violence, especially in peri-urban communities where such acts are often fuelled by suspicion, misinformation, or unresolved local disputes.
The viral video from Dawuranpong, however, has amplified national concern due to its sheer brutality.
In response, the IGP’s Special Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team moved swiftly, arresting ten suspects believed to have directly participated in or supported the attack.
Police identified three key perpetrators—Eric Donkor, also known as Killer Block, 32; Yaw Gyimah, 29; and Edmund Nartey, 24—as some of the individuals visibly seen in the video inflicting harm on the women.
A fourth suspect, nicknamed Awaga and identified only as Tawiah, was captured in the footage cutting into the scalp of one of the victims with a sharp razor blade.
He is currently on the run, and police have launched a manhunt to track him down.
The seven other suspects—Steven Amu, 24; Farouk Balas, 18; Mensah Bernard, 18; Adu Baggeo, 23; Bismark Nyarko, 30; Akwesi Poku George, 18; and Oteng Alfred, 23—were arrested for allegedly aiding, abetting, or providing operational support to the gang.
Investigators say these individuals played various roles, including filming the assault, restraining the victims, or encouraging the attackers.
The police administration has assured the public that the victims, who suffered significant physical and emotional trauma, are receiving the necessary medical and psychological support.
Welfare and victim-protection officers have been assigned to ensure they undergo proper rehabilitation.
