News
NAIMOS, Ghana Army secure Atwima Mponua Forest Reserve from illegal miners
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Ghana Army and Forestry Commission, has carried out a major operation to clear illegal miners and armed groups from the Atwima Mponua Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.
This was revealed on the Facebook page of Gold Board Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi.
The dawn swoop, conducted on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, involved troops from the 4th Infantry Battalion, officials of the Forestry Commission and NAIMOS personnel. The team moved into Anhwiafutu in the Nkawie Forest District of the Offin Shelter Belt, acting on local intelligence.
When the task force arrived, it found fresh excavator tracks, indicating that several machines had been moved shortly before the operation. Large areas of the forest showed evidence of illegal mining activities. Some miners fled on sighting the team.
During the raid, the task force retrieved and immobilised nine excavators concealed in the forest. It also seized two Toyota Hilux pickups and a Nissan pickup believed to have been used in the operations.
The team burned five “chanfang” machines, several fuel dumps, old excavator engines, personal belongings and seven water pumping machines belonging to the miners.
A nearby house suspected to shelter foreign illegal miners was also searched.
Twelve Chinese nationals had reportedly been staying there but fled before the raid. Items found in the house included 18 excavator batteries, 31 buckets of grease, seven gas cylinders, a mini car washing machine and an excavator radiator.
The seized excavators were immobilised on site because there were no low-bed trucks available to transport them out of the community.
The operation forms part of ongoing efforts to protect forest reserves and water bodies from illegal mining.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has pledged Ghana’s continued commitment to advancing women’s rights and empowerment.
She made the statement at the UN High-Level Meeting marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Dr. Lartey said the Beijing Declaration, adopted in 1995, was a bold vision that recognized the advancement of women and girls as key to peace, justice, and sustainable development.
She added that while much progress had been made, the journey to full equality was still not complete.
She explained that the commemoration was of special importance to Ghana as it coincided with the 50th anniversary of the country’s national machinery for women.
She also highlighted that Ghana made history in January this year when its first female vice president was sworn into office, describing it as a breakthrough that showed the country’s determination to give women’s voices space in governance.
According to the minister, Ghana has strengthened its legal and policy framework by passing the Affirmative Action Act in 2024 and adopting a new gender policy to guide actions from 2025 to 2035.
She added that protection systems had been reinforced through the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service.
She pointed to Ghana’s focus on economic empowerment through programs such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the School Feeding Program, and the Microfinance and Small Loan Centers (MASLOC).
Plans, she said, were underway to establish a Women’s Development Bank to expand financial inclusion and provide affordable credit, especially for women in underserved areas.
Dr. Lartey stressed that the Beijing Declaration was not just a promise written on paper but a call to action.
She urged the international community to recommit to removing barriers and giving women and girls equal opportunities.
She affirmed Ghana’s commitment to a future where no woman or girl is left behind.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Donkor, has commended the Ashanti Regional Police Commander and his team for their professionalism during an operation that dismantled a notorious armed robbery syndicate.
Speaking at the Police Headquarters in Accra, DCOP Donkor said the success of the operation was due to effective teamwork and tactical execution by the regional command.
She stressed that their dedication and courage played a major role in bringing down the gang, which had been terrorizing banks and rural financial institutions across the country.
She further praised the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, for his leadership and direction, which she said has strengthened the fight against armed robbery and improved public confidence in the police.
DCOP Donkor assured the public that investigations are ongoing and pledged that the police will not relent in pursuing the remaining suspects still at large.
She called on Ghanaians to continue to support the police with information that can help in combating crime.
By: Jacob Aggrey
