A team of officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) together with some journalists had it tough carrying out their mandate after they were attacked at an illegal mining site in the Ashanti Region.
The incident occurred at Dadwene, a community near Obuase on Thursday November 6, 2025.
The team led by the boss of EPA, Prof. Nana Ama Klutse stormed the area on a mission to foil illegal mining activities in the area but they were met with stiff opposition from heavily armed men. They were being accompanied by soldiers and other sister security agencies.
After assessing the situation and being told by the security they could not overpower the miners, they opted to leave the scene. But reports indicate that the convoy of the team was initially attacked by the group of illegal miners. The severity of the attack reportedly forced the EPA team and the accompanying media personnel to retreat.
While rushing out, they were involved in the near fatal accident. Two journalists with Media General and the Multimedia Group were involved.
The accident occurred around Afari, leaving several occupants injured. Among the journalists involved was Ibrahim Abubakar, the Ashanti Regional Correspondent of Media General and others from Joy FM and Adom FM, subsidiaries of the Multimedia Group.
Prof Klutse said the victims suffered various forms of injury, including broken thigh, head injuriy and chest pains.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight programme on TV3 Thursday she said, “We thank God that we all have our lives now, it is just unfortunate that we have some injuries. The most critical one is a broken thigh, which is one of the Joy TV cameramen. Your correspondent Abubarkar has some chest pains, and he is responding to treatment. Adom TV’s correspondent had a head injury; he is also responding to treatment. Then we have some EPA staff who were also involved in the accident; they are all responding to treatment. We have discussed it with the doctors and nurses in charge to pay special attention to them because we were on a national assignment before this unfortunate incident happened.”
A video of the convoy joining the main road and being pelted with stones has been sighted by TheNewRepublic.
Even though the incident did not occur particularly at Obuasi, but the mere fact that it occured at a village near the popular mining town has gotten many talking.
They reference the unfortunate and devastating deaths of eight government officials and security officers while in a helicopter to Obuasi in August 2024.
The victims were on their way to launch an initiative by government to tackle illegal mining. Among the deceased were Minister for the Defence Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed who happened to be the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tamale Central constituency.
By Gifty Boateng