We were fleeing for our lives’ – recounts armed galamsey attack near Obuasi that triggered fatal crash
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) CEO Professor Nana Ama Klutse has revealed that her team, accompanied by journalists and security personnel, was forced to flee from armed illegal miners during an anti-galamsey operation near Obuasi, leading to a head-on collision that left several injured.
Speaking on TV3 on Thursday, Klutse said the team was targeting suppliers of mining equipment when they stumbled upon active galamsey sites with excavators blocking river bodies. As they prepared to leave, heavily built men in black CID-branded attire—later found to be impostors—confronted the military escorts.
“We had soldiers and national security with us, but they said they couldn’t overpower them,” Klutse recounted. “We got intel from Accra to abandon our route immediately. While fleeing, one of our vehicles collided head-on with a truck carrying pipes suspected for galamsey.”
A Joy TV cameraman suffered a broken thigh, while Adom TV’s correspondent sustained a head injury. EPA staff were also hurt; all are responding to treatment.
Klutse urged medical teams to prioritize the injured, emphasizing they were on national duty. The three-week operation aims to disrupt the supply chain fueling river body mining.
