The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has revealed that the accident involving journalists and EPA staff occurred while they were fleeing from armed illegal miners during an operation near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Thursday, November 6, Professor Klutse said the team was conducting a three-week enforcement exercise aimed at clamping down on suppliers and service providers who facilitate illegal mining activities, especially those polluting water bodies.
According to her, the team had earlier closed several shops at Anhwia Nkwanta and was heading to other sites when they encountered armed galamsey operators.
“On our way near Obuasi, we saw galamsey happening on the ground, so we decided to have a look at what they were doing. When we got closer, they ran away, but later, some heavily built men armed with guns appeared. We had the military and national security officers with us, but we realized we could not exchange fire, so we had to run for our lives,” she recounted.
In the process of escaping, one of the vehicles — carrying EPA staff and journalists — was involved in a head-on collision with a truck believed to be transporting equipment for galamsey operations.
Professor Klutse added that the confrontation became intense after the armed men, some wearing black shirts with “CID” written on them, challenged the security officers accompanying the EPA team.
“We got intel from Accra that we should leave immediately and avoid our original route. While taking an alternative route through the Western and Central regions back to Kumasi, one of our vehicles had the accident,” she explained.
The crash occurred at Afari, leaving several journalists and EPA staff injured.
Professor Klutse called on medical personnel attending to the victims to give them special care, noting that the team was on a national assignment when the accident happened.
She confirmed that one of the Joy News cameramen suffered a broken thigh, while Adom TV’s correspondent sustained a head injury. Joy News’ Abubakar Sadiq and some EPA officials also sustained chest and other injuries.
“We thank God that we all have our lives now. It is just unfortunate that we have some injuries,” she said.
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the dangers faced by security and regulatory officials in anti-galamsey operations across the country.
