The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has shared harrowing details of a violent confrontation between her team, journalists, and illegal miners near Obuasi that left several people injured.
Speaking on TV3 on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Prof. Klutse said the attack happened during a three-week nationwide anti-galamsey operation being carried out by the EPA in collaboration with security agencies. The exercise targets suppliers and service providers who support illegal mining operations, particularly those working in or around water bodies.
“It’s a three-week operation designed to tackle not only the miners but also those who provide services for galamsey in rivers. We realised it wasn’t enough to just tell people to stop mining in the rivers — we had to go after the enablers too,” she explained.
According to her, the EPA team was inspecting illegal mining sites at Dadwene, a community close to Obuasi, when armed miners suddenly confronted them. The group, which included military and national security personnel, was forced to retreat to avoid an exchange of gunfire.
“While driving near Obuasi, we saw active galamsey operations and decided to take a closer look. The miners fled when we approached, leaving behind three excavators working directly in the river and diverting its course. It was an alarming scene,” Prof. Klutse recounted.
As the team left the area, they encountered armed men in black uniforms marked “CID.” Although the accompanying security officers tried to engage them, the situation grew tense. “Even though we had military and national security support, we couldn’t return fire, so we had to run for our lives,” she said.
While retreating through Afari, the team received instructions from Accra to change their route for safety. Unfortunately, during the diversion, one of their vehicles collided head-on with a truck suspected to be carrying pipes used for illegal mining.
“Just before reaching Kumasi, one of our vehicles crashed head-on with a truck,” Prof. Klutse said.
Several officials and journalists were injured in the crash, including a Channel One TV journalist, a Joy TV cameraman who suffered a broken thigh, and an Adom TV reporter who sustained a head injury.
Prof. Klutse expressed relief that no lives were lost and thanked the health workers attending to the injured. “We thank God everyone survived. It’s unfortunate that some sustained injuries, but we’ve spoken to the doctors and nurses to give them special care because they were hurt while serving the nation,” she said.
Story by Doe Benjamin Lawson