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The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has detailed a violent confrontation between illegal miners and a joint EPA team accompanied by journalists near Obuasi, which resulted in several injuries.
Speaking on TV3 on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Prof. Klutse explained that the incident occurred during an ongoing three-week anti-galamsey operation aimed at dismantling the supply networks that enable illegal mining in Ghana’s rivers and water bodies.
According to her, the EPA initiative targets not only the miners but also individuals and companies that provide essential services supporting illegal mining activities.
The confrontation happened at Dadwene, a community near Obuasi, where the task force discovered three excavators operating directly in a river, blocking and diverting its flow. While inspecting the site, the team came under attack from armed men believed to be illegal miners.
Prof. Klutse revealed that the group, which included military and national security personnel, was forced to retreat after the armed miners—dressed in black uniforms marked “CID”—approached aggressively.
“We had the military and national security with us, but we couldn’t exchange fire, so we had to run for our lives,” she recounted.
During their retreat through Afari, the team was advised by their Accra command to take an alternative route due to security threats. However, while diverting, one of the convoy vehicles collided head-on with a truck reportedly carrying pipes used for illegal mining.
“Just before we reached Kumasi, we had the head-on collision,” she said.
The crash left several EPA officials and journalists injured, including a Joy TV cameraman who sustained a broken thigh and an Adom TV correspondent who suffered a head injury.
Prof. Klutse expressed relief that no lives were lost and praised the medical personnel attending to the injured.
“We thank God that we all have our lives. It is just unfortunate that we have some injuries. We have spoken to the doctors and nurses to pay special attention to them because they were injured while on national duty,” she said.
