Fatal Galamsey Ambush: One Dead and Chief Injured in Western North Forest Reserve Attack

A violent confrontation at an illegal mining site in the Western North Region has left one person dead and several others, including a local chief, injured. On Monday, May 18, 2026, a group led by Nana Kwasi Ayim II was attacked while visiting the Afao Hills Forest Reserve in Sefwi Asawinso. The incident highlights the volatile tensions surrounding illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, within Ghana’s protected forest reserves.

The group, acting as a community task force, had entered the reserve to assess the environmental damage caused by illegal mining operations. According to Frank Nelson Ackah, the Assembly Member for the Asawinso ‘A’ Electoral Area, the visit was intended as a peaceful inspection. However, as the delegation attempted to leave the site, they were reportedly ambushed by armed individuals believed to be associated with the illegal miners. In the ensuing gunfire, 38-year-old Kwame Ayisi was fatally wounded, while Chief Nana Kwasi Ayim II and at least five others sustained various injuries during the attack.

Following the incident, the Western North Regional Police Command moved swiftly to restore order, arresting a suspect identified as Isaac Badu, also known as ‘Obede.’ The police confirmed that the victims were rushed to the Anhwiaso Community Hospital for emergency treatment. Unfortunately, Kwame Ayisi succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the facility. His body has since been deposited at the morgue pending a clinical autopsy as part of the ongoing criminal investigation.

Police authorities have reinforced security in the Sefwi Asawinso area and are urging the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. They have called for calm and requested that community members provide any information that could lead to the apprehension of other individuals involved in the ambush. This tragedy underscores the significant risks faced by traditional authorities and community volunteers who attempt to protect natural resources from the persistent and often violent threat of illegal mining syndicates.