A disturbing trend of violence and intimidation has emerged in the galamsey-ravaged Wassa Amenfi West District in the Western Region, where a group of Chinese and Ghanaian-led illegal miners have invaded a 261-acre land, devastating the environment and attacking journalists who dared to expose their activities.
The latest incident occurred when a team of journalists from Angel News, Citi News, and Rok/Peace FM visited the Breman-Adomanya forest area to investigate the environmental destruction caused by the galamsey operators.
The journalists, including Agyemfra Bright, Nana Fynn, Akwasi Agyei Annim, and Jacob Baah, were assaulted, and their production equipment damaged by the galamseyers, who were allegedly led by Yaw Kurankyi, a man believed to have sold the land to the miners.
Despite being accompanied by a four-member police escort, the journalists were overwhelmed by the galamseyers, who seized their cameras, microphones, and mobile phones, and detained them until 7pm.
The galamseyers demanded that the journalists delete all recordings before releasing them. It was only after police reinforcements arrived that the journalists were allowed to leave the area, but not before agreeing to delete their footage at the Asankragwa District Police Station.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for urgent action to be taken against the galamseyers and those who are complicit in their activities.
Isaac Kwasi Bekye, a farmer who exposed the devastation, expressed frustration over the lack of intervention by traditional authorities and local police.
“What is happening on Adomanya lands currently is not good at all. Illegal mining operators have destroyed a vast area of 261 acres of land, including cocoa, trees, food crops, and rivers,” he stated.
The galamsey menace has been a persistent problem in Ghana, with many calling for tougher measures to be taken against those involved.
The government has been criticized for its handling of the issue, with many accusing it of being slow to act.
