A joint team of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service has raided communities across the country where anti-illegal mining teams, including a team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and a team from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were recently attacked.
According to a statement issued by the Ghana Armed Forces, the joint team raided Hwediem in the Ahafo Region, where a NAIMOS team led by its Director of Operations was attacked, as well as Dadwene in the Ashanti Region, where the Chief Executive Officer of the EPA and her team were also attacked.
The army stated that the operation, which started at dawn on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, is aimed at arresting all the perpetrators of the attacks.
“The Ghana Armed Forces and Ghana Police Service are conducting simultaneous targeted and intelligence-led joint swoops in the Ashanti Region, specifically Dadwene and Anwona; in the Volta Region at Ehi; and in the Ahafo Region at Hwediem, Kenyase, Guaso and Marhani.
“The operations, which started at dawn today, Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at all the locations, aim at arresting identified persons involved in the recent attacks on members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) team, some police officers and officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including journalists,” parts of the army’s statement read.
It added, “The Armed Forces and the Police Service warn that any individual or group that attempts to obstruct the operations of any of the security services in their anti-galamsey operations or in the performance of any other lawful duty will face the full force of the law.”
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About the attacks:
The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency, Prof Nana Ama Klutse, narrated a ghastly incident that occurred in the Ashanti Region, where the agency’s team and some accompanying journalists were attacked by illegal miners (galamseyers).
In an interview with TV3 on November 6, 2025, Prof Klutse explained that a team of journalists accompanying the EPA on a special operation to clamp down on illegal mining activities was attacked at Dadwene, a community near Obuasi.
According to her, their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a truck as they attempted to flee from the galamsey site after military personnel accompanying them were overwhelmed by well-armed illegal mining operators.
She further disclosed that two journalists, including TV3’s Abubakar and a Joy TV camera operator, as well as some EPA staff, sustained severe injuries following the attack.
Days before the attack on the EPA anti-galamsey team, ten military officers who are members of NAIMOS, led by their Director of Operations, were attacked during an operation in the Ahafo Region on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
According to a report by Erastus Asare Donkor, while on their operation, the NAIMOS Director received information that an excavator was actively being used for mining along the roadside near Branikrom, prompting the team to move to the area and arrest the illegal miners, including a Burkinabe national.
Erastus Asare Donkor further stated that the NAIMOS team demanded the presence of the site owner at the location where the mining was being carried out.
He added that an individual later arrived, identifying himself as a Defence Intelligence (DI) representative from the Ahafo Region, followed by another person who reportedly claimed to be the site owner.
A search conducted by the NAIMOS team at the site led to the discovery of ammunition of various kinds, as well as cash and mobile phones.
Donkor added that while the NAIMOS team was at it, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, came to the scene with alleged thugs, demanding the release of the arrested illegal miners.
