A group of journalists accompanying officials from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on an anti-illegal mining operation in the Ashanti Re
A group of journalists accompanying officials from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on an anti-illegal mining operation in the Ashanti Region were involved in a road accident near Afari, close to Obuasi.
The incident occurred on Friday during an operation targeting illegal mining sites within the Obuasi enclave. The EPA team, supported by security personnel, reportedly came under attack from a group of angry miners at Dadwene, a nearby community, forcing both officials and journalists to retreat for safety.
Eyewitnesses said chaos ensued as the convoy attempted to withdraw from the area, resulting in one of the vehicles veering off the road at Afari and crashing. Several people sustained injuries, with two journalists said to be in critical condition.
Among those involved was Ibrahim Abubakar, Ashanti Regional Correspondent for Media General, who escaped without serious injuries. Another journalist from Adom News, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was also part of the team.
A source close to the operation said that the attack and subsequent crash left several members of the team traumatized. “It was a frightening scene. The officers and journalists were under real threat before the accident happened,” the source recounted.
The anti-galamsey exercise forms part of the EPA’s intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities that continue to degrade water bodies and farmlands across the Ashanti Region and beyond.
Local authorities and the police have yet to issue an official statement, but investigations are underway to identify the attackers and assess the extent of the injuries.