A member of the Ghana Armed Forces has been brutally injured, reportedly by individuals believed to be illegal small-scale miners (galamseyers) at Wassa Akyempim, a community in the Western Region.

According to GHOne TV, the soldier was attacked by unknown assailants, presumed to be galamseyers, when he and his colleagues visited an illegal small-scale (galamsey) site in Wassa Akyempim.

A video of the injured soldier that the media house shared was captioned: "A military officer named Timothy Adzakosi has reportedly been assaulted by unknown assailants believed to be illegal miners at Wassa Akyempim in the Western Region. It is reported that the victim was among three other colleagues who visited a galamsey site in the area."

The video showed the victim receiving treatment at a health facility, with fingers on both of his hands appearing to have been chopped off. He was also bleeding from the head.

Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East, also in the Western Region, Ernest Frimpong, has been captured in a video calling for assaults on soldiers and other security officials who attempt to hinder the activities of small-scale miners.

In the video sighted by GhanaWeb, the candidate is seen addressing a group of small-scale miners in the area, making the following statement:

"Operation halt, galamstop, whatever, whatever, soldiers that ambush you, we have cancelled all those operations, and officially they do not have permission to run such operations again.

"So, if anyone comes to your site, you have the right to question him on his mission there," he told the miners in the Twi language.

"If he says he is on patrol, then that is good because the patrol by the police and the security services protects you and reduces the incidents of robbery. So, if from your own will you part ways with 3 million, 5 million, or 10 million for him to use for fuel, you are just helping him, and I won't speak against it," he added.

"But if anyone comes around and says, 'Because he is a soldier, leave the site and dismantle your machines,' don't be moved by the uniform he is wearing. If he beats you, equally beat him. Fight him; I will come to your defense," he charged the miners to rousing applause.

The exact date when the video was taken is unknown.

However, the candidate, who spoke in the presence of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, and some party executives in the region, defended his call by reiterating that no official operation has been sanctioned for soldiers to stop illegal mining activities.

"As I said, the authority which he could use to arrest you has been seized; hence, if you are doing illegal [mining] and he wants to arrest you, he is also engaging in an illegality, so you should also arrest him," he added.

Ghana has been grappling with the effects of rampant illegal mining in recent years, which has led to the destruction of several water bodies and forest cover.

Watch the video below:

A military officer named Timothy Adzakosi has reportedly been assaulted by unknown assailants believed to be illegal miners at Wassa Akyempim in the Western Region. It is reported that the victim was among three other colleagues who visited a galamsey site in the area.… pic.twitter.com/8PMwwsTSpl

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) June 10, 2024