A Family Shattered

Awagasi George Bukari, a journalist and Manager of Maxx Empire 96.9 FM, was violently attacked by unknown gunmen at his residence in Binduri in the Upper East Region on October 26, 2025. The assault, believed to be linked to his whistle-blowing activities and investigative reporting, resulted in the deaths of his son, nephew, and brother in a single, horrific night.

Bukari himself survived but sustained severe injuries—including a fractured hand caused when a bullet passed through his mobile phone and into his palm as he desperately attempted to call for help.

Forced to flee for his life, the journalist was immediately brought into the care of WAJSIC, an institution founded by renowned investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to protect media practitioners whose lives are under threat.

New Life in Hiding

When Bukari and his wife arrived at the southern safe house in Accra in November 2025, the family was still raw from grief. His wife was heavily pregnant at the time. The wife gave birth some months after they arrived in the safe house.

On February 13, 2026, in accordance with Ghanaian tradition, the family held an outdooring ceremony to formally name their daughter. Anas Aremeyaw Anas—whose Tiger Eye PI foundation has long documented the dangers faced by journalists across West Africa—joined facility managers at the ceremony to support the family.

The veteran investigator, himself a native of Northern Ghana, has dedicated his career to protecting whistleblowers and exposing corruption, often at great personal risk.

A Growing Crisis

Bukari’s case adds to a growing list of attacks on journalists in Ghana, a challenge media practitioners face in many countries across the world. Investigative journalists who expose corruption or challenge powerful interests often find themselves targets of violence, regardless of where they practice their profession.

The October 26 attack that killed three members of Bukari’s family remains unsolved. No group has claimed responsibility, though information from what Bukari himself has narrated suggests that his reporting on local governance and resource allocation in the Upper East Region may have made him enemies.