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Claim: An X user, @KellySewornu, shared a video allegedly showing a military officer assaulting a Sprinter bus driver, claiming the altercation happened because the driver refused to reduce transport fares.
Verdict: False. The incident did not involve transport fare reductions. It occurred in early April 2025, when no public directive or call had been made for drivers to reduce fares. The official announcement for fare reduction came later, on May 24, 2025.
Full Text
A viral video posted by X user @KellySewornu claims a Ghanaian soldier assaulted a Sprinter driver for refusing to reduce transport fares in line with supposed fare cuts. The post, captioned, “Because he refuse not to reduce the price of the fare, he go hear am,” has gone viral, amassing over 700,000 views, 8,000 likes, and 300 comments.
Some comments supporting the claim include:
- @GHDeservesBest: “Nice one. Beat any foolish Trotro driver who doesn’t reduce the fare by up to 15%. We can’t tolerate cheats, corruption, and foolishness.”
- @PintoIsaac9: “In fact, Ghana military men, you have made my day. Well done.”
- @Roofman213gh: “If this is what it takes, then why not, comply or face force, but I’m not sure this video is related to that.”
While many praised the soldier’s alleged actions, others questioned the accuracy of the claim. DUBAWA decided to investigate.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a video analysis using InVID, extracting key frames and conducting a reverse image search on Google. This led to an earlier Instagram post by user @charles_general_gh, published on April 5, 2025, with the caption: “A soldier captured on camera slapping a trotro driver.”
This confirms that the video was already online by early April 2025.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport announced a 15% reduction in transport fares on May 24, 2025, following negotiations with transport unions. Before this, there had been no formal request or government directive urging drivers to reduce fares. Thus, the video can’t be related to transport fare reduction.
Conclusion
The claim that a Ghanaian soldier assaulted a driver for refusing to reduce transport fares is false. The video was recorded in early April, weeks before any call for fare reductions. The incident is unrelated to transport pricing and should not be interpreted as enforcement of fare policies.
