A Ghanaian court has sentenced TikToker Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison after she pleaded guilty to falsely claiming that President John Mahama sacrificed 32 cows in a ritual to secure victory in the 2024 presidential election.
According to the BBC, the 43-year-old was convicted of offensive conduct and publication of false news over a series of TikTok videos posted last month and earlier this month.
Prosecutors said Alhassan, who has more than 70,000 TikTok followers, made false and defamatory allegations against the president in videos that were widely circulated online.
In the videos, she claimed, without evidence, that Mahama performed the ritual to win the election. She also alleged that the government’s distribution of sanitary pads to flood victims was an attempt to conceal the supposed act.
The court rejected her plea for a reduced sentence, saying a prison term was necessary to deter the growing spread of misinformation on social media.
The conviction has reignited debate in Ghana over tackling online misinformation while protecting freedom of expression. The government is also considering legislation to curb false information without undermining constitutional free speech protections.
The case follows the September 2025 conviction of another TikToker, David Kwodwo Prah Afful, popularly known as Kwame Nkrumah II, who was sentenced to seven months in prison for making death threats against Mahama and members of parliament in a viral video.
The Mahama administration has repeatedly warned that those spreading falsehoods, hate speech and content capable of causing fear or public panic would be identified and prosecuted.
