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A section of Ghanaians has called on President John Dramani Mahama to issue a ‘shoot-to-kill’ order against illegal miners across the country.
The demand follows widespread outrage over a violent attack on the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response team by armed illegal miners in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve, located in the Ashanti Region.
The incident occurred on Sunday, 23 March, when the team was ambushed by miners armed with assault rifles and machetes, leaving an officer with a severe machete injury to his knee.
The injured officer, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, is currently receiving medical treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
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The Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve has long been a hotspot for illegal mining activities, which have severely threatened the nation’s forest reserves and water resources.
Reports of the attack have sparked widespread anger on social media, with some members of the public calling on the President to issue a ‘shoot-to-kill’ order against those involved in illegal mining, locally known as ‘galamsey.’
Below are some reactions:
This Galamsey issue is simple. Treat the illegal miners as criminals or terrorists and wage war against them. Cos how tf are they heavily armed like this? Who is supplying the ammunition to them? Charley deploy the military to shoot and k^ll them all. Icl.
Hear me out. How about “shoot to kill” as a strategy to fight the Galamsey. If we kill a few hundreds perhaps we could make head way.
Declare state of emergency in these galamsey areas, issue a shoot to kill order, go rough on these nation wreckers, do anything to end these dangerous activities. Not all these rhetorics @JDMahama.
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A state of emergency needs to be declared on galamsey. All small scale mining should be paused for 3 months and the soldiers should move in. It should be shoot to kill!
As I always say, until a law is passed or an order given to shoot and kill these criminals found involved in Galamsey, everything being done is a waste of time. It will not end it. Till Police and Military are made to shoot them on site, let’s keep fooling ourselves.
IGP Declares War on Illegal Mining
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has declared an all-out war on "galamsey," describing it as a major threat to national security and the environment.
Speaking at the Regional Police Commanders’ Conference, the IGP emphasised the urgent need to intensify efforts to combat illegal mining activities, particularly in the Western North Region, where such operations have escalated.