Ghanaian TikToker Jailed For False Ritual Claims Against President Mahama

A Ghanaian court has sentenced TikToker Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison after she pleaded guilty to publishing false claims that President John Mahama sacrificed 32 cows in a ritual to secure victory in Ghana’s 2024 presidential election.

According to the BBC on Friday, the 43-year-old was convicted on charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news over a series of videos she shared on TikTok last month and earlier this month.

In the videos, Alhassan falsely alleged, without providing any evidence, that President Mahama performed the ritual to ensure his electoral victory. She also claimed that the government’s distribution of sanitary pads to flood victims was an attempt to conceal the alleged act.

The court dismissed her appeal for a reduced sentence, holding that a custodial term was necessary to deter the increasing spread of misinformation on social media.

Prosecutors told the court that Alhassan, who has more than 70,000 followers on TikTok, made false and defamatory allegations against the president through videos that gained widespread circulation online, the BBC reported.

Her conviction has reignited debate in Ghana over how to combat online misinformation while safeguarding freedom of expression.

The case is the latest involving a social media influencer in the West African country.

In September 2025, another TikToker, David Kwodwo Prah Afful, popularly known as Kwame Nkrumah II, was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment after being convicted of making death threats against Mahama and members of parliament in a viral video.

The Mahama administration has repeatedly warned against the dangers of false information circulating online.

Last year, the president said security agencies would identify and prosecute individuals responsible for spreading falsehoods, hate speech and messages capable of inciting fear or public panic.

The Ghanaian government is also considering legislation aimed at curbing misinformation while maintaining constitutional guarantees for freedom of expression.