Ghanaian Investigative Journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, Murdered, Akufo-Addo Mourns

Ahmed Hussein-Suale

Ghanaian Investigative Journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, Murdered, Akufo-Addo Mourns

A Ghanaian undercover journalist who investigated corruption in Ghanaian football, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, has been murdered on Wednesday in Madina, Accra Ghana. He was a member of Tiger Eye Private Investigations.

 He was shot dead while driving home, after a politician called for retribution against him.

Unidentified men on motorbikes shot Ahmed Hussein-Suale three times in the capital Accra, local media reports say.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a Facebook post on Thursday has condemned the fatal shooting of Ahmed.

The President expressed his condolences to Ahmed’s family and charged the police to get the perpetrators to book.

“I’ve learnt with sadness of the killing of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, an associate of investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas. I condemn the act unreservedly, and extend my condolences to his family. I expect the police to bring to book, as soon as possible, the perpetrators of this heinous crime. Once again, my heartfelt condolences,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

In a press release, Tiger Eye said they were “terribly devastated by the dastardly act”, but were “unshaken” in their pursuit of “nation-wreckers”.

The undercover report on cash gifts led to a lifetime ban for the former head of Ghana’s Football Association.

BBC Africa Eye made a documentary about the scandal last year after gaining access to the investigation led by journalist Anas Aremayaw Anas, who runs Tiger Eye.

After the BBC broadcast the football documentary, Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong circulated photos of Mr Hussein-Suale and called for retribution against him.

In turn, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called on Mr Agyapong last summer to stop threatening journalists.

Mr Hussein-Suale was shot twice in the chest and once in the neck in the suburb of Madina at about 23:00 (23:00 GMT) on Wednesday night, reports say.

His body has reportedly been taken to the Police Hospital Morgue and will be buried soon.

The investigative journalist co-operated with the BBC on several stories, including an investigation into human body parts sold for ritual magic in Malawi.

Violence against the press is rare in Ghana.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, only one other journalist has been killed in Ghana since 1992.

The International Federation of Journalists says eight journalists were killed across all of Africa in 2017.