University of Ghana law lecturer, Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has called for the immediate arrest of gang leaders linked to a hidden galamsey settlement recently destroyed by the military in the Western Region.
He argues that unless these leaders are apprehended, illegal mining will continue to thrive and the destroyed settlement could easily re-establish itself.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua described the military’s action — which saw the demolition of a settlement housing over 10,000 residents — as necessary but only a surface-level response to a much deeper problem.
“These settlements are springing up, and from the look of things, this one has been there for quite some time,” he noted. “People have been going in and out, and there were clear indications of the numbers involved. This is not a new development.”
The law professor stressed the need for proper intelligence gathering before such operations are undertaken.
“Before the operation, we should have gathered enough intelligence to fully understand the scope of the situation. We needed to know how many people were there so we could prepare adequately,” he explained. “More armed personnel should have been deployed, and better coordination was needed to arrest as many people as possible—especially the gang leaders.”
He also raised concerns that no arrests had been reported so far, particularly of the individuals believed to be orchestrating the illegal mining activities.
“From the information we have, there has been no mention of any arrests or the capture of specific gang leaders,” he pointed out. “These leaders control everything — they collect taxes, manage operations, and ensure the settlement continues to function. Unless we address them directly, we cannot solve the problem.”
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua further criticised the authorities’ level of preparedness, especially the claim that security forces lacked the resources to arrest the estimated 2,000 individuals involved in the illegal settlement.
“This highlights a serious intelligence failure and a lack of preparation for the operation,” he said. “If they were unable to arrest those involved, it raises serious questions about the planning behind the operation.”
He concluded by calling for a more strategic and targeted approach in future anti-galamsey efforts.
“There will likely be more resistance in the future,” he warned. “If we do not focus on arresting the gang leaders and dismantling their networks, the problem will only persist and may even worsen.”
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