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Professor Ken Attafuah, criminologist and adjunct lecturer at the GIMPA Law School, has traced Ghana’s recurring mob attacks to a “deep-seated cultural inclination toward violence and impatience.” Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (3 November), Prof Attafuah explained that mob violence is not just a reaction to crime but a reflection of historical and sociocultural behaviour patterns. “Violence is easily mobilised in our society. From childhood, we are told to ‘obey before complain.’ Parents slap children before asking questions. Teachers beat students. So we grow up believing violence is an acceptable way to assert control,” he said. He argued that mob injustice thrives because people often target the vulnerable — the elderly, women, the disabled, or those perceived as weak or powerless. “In our cultural context, we have always been wicked to weak people. We demonise and dramatise the evil in them,” he said, citing cases where elderly women accused of witchcraft were lynched without proof. Prof. Attafuah added that public anger is often fueled by corruption and inefficiency in the criminal justice system, which leads people to take the law into their own hands.“When people perceive that police are corrupt, incompetent, or complicit, they feel justified to deliver ‘justice’ themselves,” he noted. He warned that unless Ghana addresses the roots of this culture — through education, reform, and strong leadership — mob violence will persist. “We must confront our addiction to violence. It’s a symptom of broken trust between the people and the state,” he concluded. Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra). Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale). Listen online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn. X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073 Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3 LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5 Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3. YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra. Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652. #AsaaseRadio #TheVoiceofOurLand
