A 23-year-old small-scale miner was seriously burned after being set on fire in an alleged military operation at a galamsey site in DanyawuKorra, Wa East District, Upper West Region, on Sunday, 10 August 2025.
The victim, Alhassan Mohammed of Mangu in the Wa Municipality, narrowly escaped death in what witnesses describe as a brutal assault.
Mohammed says he and his colleagues were working when armed men approached, causing miners to scatter. Still underground at the time, Mohammed only became aware of the danger when he climbed out of the pit to find the site eerily silent.
“When I climbed out of the pit, the place was quiet. Suddenly, they appeared and started beating me until I couldn’t fight back”.
Mohammed alleges the attackers, believed to be military personnel, poured petrol over his body and set him alight. “It was as if death had come for me,” he recalled.
Wa East District Chief Executive (DCE) Adamu Shaibu condemned the incident as unacceptable and stressed that efforts to curb illegal mining must not involve harming people. He said he has reported the attack to the Upper West Regional Minister, who chairs the Regional Security Council, for redress.
The regional minister, according to Shaibu, emphasised the need to educate miners about government policy on mining and the benefits of operating legally. The regional minister urged that miners be encouraged to register as cooperatives and obtain the appropriate licences, noting that cooperative licensing provides regulation and helps generate revenue for the country.
The DCE reiterated the importance of formalising small-scale mining through cooperatives adding “the assembly will support education campaigns to ensure miners understand the cooperative licence process and operate within the law”.
Shaibu also reminded residents that the nation is still mourning eight lives lost in recent mining-related incidents and urged communities to refrain from illegal mining during this period.
Assembly Member for Manwe Electoral Area, Hon. Adams Iddrisu, said this was not the first time military personnel had operated at the site. While he acknowledged that galamsey is illegal, he insisted that enforcement must follow lawful procedures and avoid excessive force.
Reporting in the Upper West Region by Alhassan Tajudeen
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