09/05/2025
Forestry Commission demands permanent military presence to reclaim Jimirah forest from illegal miners.
According to the Nkawie District Manager of the Forestry Commission, Abraham Essel, efforts made in January to remove the illegal miners were thwarted by the presence of weapon-wielding guards.
"We tried to mobilise to come and flush them out, but we realised they were conducting the operations under the protection of thugs who were wielding offensive weapons, and we could not access this place," he recounted.
At dawn on Thursday, a team of military officers was deployed for an operation. However, by the time they arrived, the miners had fled the area, taking most of their equipment with them. Excavators and other machinery found at the site had been demobilised.
Tracks led the team to eight parked excavators hidden within the Adobewora community
