SEVEN CRUSHED

Stampede Turns Recruitment Drive into Deadly Chaos

By Prince Ahenkorah

A deadly stampede at Accra’s El-Wak Sports Stadium has left six young women dead and dozens more injured in a horrifying start to the Ghana Armed Forces’ 2025/2026 recruitment exercise.
The tragedy unfolded just after dawn on Wednesday, when thousands of hopeful applicants surged toward the stadium gates. Only one side of a double metal gate had been opened, forcing the crowd into a narrow passageway. The result: chaos, panic, and a crush that claimed lives and shattered dreams.
In Kumasi, another fatality was reported during the Ashanti Regional enlistment, bringing the death toll to seven nationwide.
At the 37 Military Hospital, Brigadier General Evelyn Vivian Abraham-Kwabiah confirmed that 28 casualties were received from the El-Wak incident. “There’s erroneous information going out,” she told reporters. “Those who are dead are six and not twelve. Five are in ICU, twelve are fairly critical, and the rest are stable.”
President John Dramani Mahama, visibly shaken, visited the hospital later that day to console victims and their families. “All six victims were female,” he said solemnly, calling for a full investigation and urgent reforms to prevent future tragedies.
He was joined by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, acting Defence Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, and other senior officials. The Ghana Armed Forces issued a statement expressing condolences and pledging to uncover the truth behind the disaster.
Sources at the stadium described scenes of horror: young women screaming for help, limbs crushed, bodies trampled. Injuries included broken necks, legs, and arms. Many had travelled long distances, hoping to serve their country only to face unimaginable trauma.
The nationwide recruitment drive had drawn massive crowds to El-Wak, with thousands arriving for medical and physical screening. But poor crowd control and sluggish processing left many stranded for hours, sparking frustration and panic.
When The New Republic visited the scene, exhausted and angry applicants were still waiting, some questioning why the GAF conducts its recruitment separately from other security services. “A joint exercise would have reduced the chaos,” one applicant said.
Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director of Public Relations for the GAF, assured the public that investigations are underway. But for the families of the seven young people who lost their lives chasing a dream of service, answers may come too late.