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The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has shared a chilling account of how a joint EPA task force and journalists narrowly escaped death after coming under attack by illegal miners near Obuasi. The incident occurred during a three-week anti-galamsey operation aimed at dismantling networks that support illegal mining in water bodies nationwide. Speaking on TV3 on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Prof. Klutse said the team had been monitoring operations at Dadwene, a community near Obuasi, when they were ambushed by armed men believed to be illegal miners. > “We saw active galamsey work happening on the ground and decided to take a closer look. As soon as we approached, the miners fled. But when we got there, we found three excavators working directly in the river, blocking and diverting its flow. It was a devastating sight,” she recounted. Moments later, the team spotted heavily armed men in black uniforms labeled ‘CID’ advancing toward them. Although military and national security personnel were part of the EPA convoy, Prof. Klutse said the team chose not to engage to avoid bloodshed. > “We had the military and national security with us, but we couldn’t exchange fire. We had to run for our lives,” she said. While retreating through Afari, the convoy was advised by their Accra command to take a different route for safety. Unfortunately, one of the vehicles collided head-on with a truck reportedly transporting pipes used for illegal mining, leaving several people injured — including a Channel One TV journalist. Prof. Klutse described the incident as proof of the growing boldness of galamsey operators and vowed that the EPA would not be intimidated in its mission to protect Ghana’s environment.
