INVESTIGATIVE SPECIAL REPORT
ACCRA, GHANA — The whereabouts of Hafisatu Zakari, a 45-year-old commercial vendor from Accra, remain unknown following a violent attack near Bawjiase in the Central Region on May 3, 2023. Human rights observers and members of the local community have expressed deep concern that she may have suffered a fate similar to that of her companion and business partner, Katumi Mumuni, who reportedly disappeared under hostile circumstances in early January.
An extensive journalistic inquiry reveals that Hafisatu’s ordeal intensified after her non-heterosexual orientation was disclosed to her family in February 2022. The revelation reportedly triggered widespread social ostracism, public hostility and an economic boycott of her provision stall.
The hostility soon escalated into physical violence. On August 19, 2022, a group reportedly comprising relatives and local elders forced their way into Hafisatu’s home and assaulted her with wooden clubs and punches, leaving her severely bruised.
Months later, on January 6, 2023, religious hardliners and estranged family members allegedly cornered her at her marketplace business and beat her until she collapsed. Although she reportedly managed to escape and seek refuge at a nearby police station, officers allegedly dismissed her complaint, warned her about statutory prohibitions concerning same-sex relations and refused to open an official investigation.
The situation reportedly worsened two days later, on January 8, 2023, when vigilantes targeted her partner, Katumi Mumuni. The attackers allegedly vandalised Katumi’s nearby cosmetics shop, assaulted her and dragged her to the same police facility.
Katumi reportedly escaped during a chaotic incident outside the station yard. However, her whereabouts remain unknown, with concerns mounting over her safety and uncertainty surrounding what happened to her after the escape.
Seeking safety away from Accra, Hafisatu reportedly moved to Bawjiase, where she maintained a low profile. Her relative safety was disrupted on April 25, 2023, when she briefly attended a funeral in the neighbourhood. According to the account, extended family members recognised her in the crowd and threatened that her own burial would be next.
The threat was allegedly followed by another violent incident on the afternoon of May 3, 2023. Fundamentalist agitators reportedly intercepted Hafisatu along an isolated footpath in Bawjiase, slapped her repeatedly, threw her to the ground and warned that she would lose her life if she remained in the country.
She has not been seen or heard from since that afternoon, raising fears that she may have been abducted or forced into hiding. Her disappearance has also heightened concerns about the fate of Katumi, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Civil Society Leader Akoto Ampaw Condemns Vigilante Hostility
The reported persecution and allegations of inadequate police intervention have drawn condemnation from human rights advocates. Prominent lawyer Anthony Akoto Ampaw, who has been associated with a coalition of legal experts and civil society leaders opposing the proposed Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill in Parliament, reportedly criticised the incidents involving Hafisatu and Katumi.
“What we are witnessing in the horrific incidents involving Hafisatu Zakari and Katumi Mumuni is a utter breakdown of law and order, replaced by unlawful mob justice,” Lawyer Akoto Ampaw stated.
“The 1992 Constitution guarantees every person within Ghana’s borders protection from bodily harm and extrajudicial abuse, regardless of their perceived sexual orientation.”
He further condemned the alleged attacks, arguing that individuals should not be allowed to use violence, intimidation or the destruction of property against vulnerable people without facing legal consequences.
“It is unlawful and shameful for self-appointed vigilantes and relatives to stalk, beat, destroy livelihoods, and drive vulnerable women into oblivion with total impunity. Law enforcement’s failure to protect victims of violence constitutes a grave breach of constitutional duty.
“Our coalition submitted a memorandum to Parliament precisely to prevent this nightmare, where regressive laws embolden violent mobs. I call on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately apprehend and prosecute everyone involved in these criminal attacks,” he added.
As of May 8, 2023, neither Hafisatu Zakari nor Katumi Mumuni had reportedly been located. Their disappearances have raised serious concerns among human rights advocates about their safety and the protection available to vulnerable individuals facing threats and violence.
