Ghanaians have been warned by Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, not to share non-consensual personal videos of Ghanaian women that were purportedly secretly recorded and shared online by a Russian national.
The Minister characterised the dissemination of the films as detrimental and perhaps fatal for the victims during an interview conducted on the fringes of the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
“I will urge us to stop sharing the pictures and the videos. It is not good; you might think that, it is fun sharing it, but from where I sit, people can lose their lives because of that. Their entire future can be wiped away because of that.
“I will plead with us. People fall, but the good thing is that they gather the courage to rise again. Let’s give these people the opportunity to rise,” she said.
Dr. Momo Lartey stated that her ministry was working with security authorities and the Ministry of Communication, which is assembling a technical team, to remove the videos and hold those responsible for their dissemination accountable.
She also mentioned that efforts were underway to offer psychological help to the victims, emphasising the importance of Ghanaians preserving the honour and reputation of individuals impacted.
The Minister expressed regret at what she called certain young people’s gullibility and overconfidence, which she claimed had left them open to abuse.
“Ghanaians are so trusting sometimes; some of the girls were just naive. We are so trusting because that is how we were brought up. We used to say we are hospitable.”
“I don’t know if we can still say that. When you see within the community, someone will give their daughter or son out to lead a stranger to a neighbour’s house, and that is how we are.”
“We are so open and so trusting that you can see a stranger and walk to the stranger’s home without knowing who the stranger is,” she said.
Dr. Momo Lartey counselled folks to always put their safety first and to be more circumspect in their contacts.
The Minister stated, “Wherever you are, even in the midst of familiar faces, ensure that your safety is paramount. Don’t be too trusting to let the entire rope out to somebody without holding the end of it, so that in case of danger, you can easily pull back. I will plead with them,”
In addition to calling the occurrence “very unfortunate” and “heartbreaking,” she said Ghanaians should learn to be practical in order to avoid a recurrence.
Source: newsthemegh.com