A man believed to be in his late 20s has reportedly died while on remand, days after he was allegedly assaulted during a joint police–military operation at Hwidem in the Ahafo Region.
The deceased, whose identity has not yet been officially confirmed, was among several individuals arrested during a regional security operation conducted on Wednesday, November 23, 2025, across parts of the Ashanti, Volta, and Ahafo regions.
Security sources say the exercise was launched in response to recent attacks on members of the National Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (NAIMC/“NAIMO”) and officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by illegal miners.
The crackdown targeted communities including Dawden, Hwidem, Goaso, and other areas where illegal mining activities have intensified in recent months where the miners have develop the habit of attack security agencies assigned to fight illegal mining activities.
While arrests in some communities such as Dadwen were reportedly carried out professionally without incident, eyewitnesses claim the situation in Hwidem was notably different.
Residents allege that military personnel severely assaulted many of the suspects during the operation, subjecting them to what they describe as “various forms of human rights abuses.” The young man who later died was among those subsequently transferred to Kumasi.
According to community accounts, the victim complained of severe pain and illness while in detention—conditions believed to have resulted from the alleged assault. Prison officers later transferred him to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after noticing his deteriorating condition. He reportedly died while receiving treatment.
Issah Alidu Bukari, a resident of Hwidem Bronikrom, told Kumasi Mail that the deceased’s father had been unable to see his son since the arrest and remand.
“Since the boy was arrested, the father tried several times to see him but was denied. When he went to Kumasi, he was told the son wasn’t there. Later, he went again and still couldn’t find him. Yesterday, while he was at Atta ne Attah, he received a call to come and identify a body believed to be his son,” Issah recounted.
The family is currently at KATH in Kumasi working to confirm the identity of the deceased.
The circumstances surrounding the young man’s death remain unclear, and there has been no official response from the police, military, or the Ghana Prisons Service.
The incident has sparked concern among residents and human rights advocates, who are calling for an independent investigation into the conduct of security personnel during the Hwidem raid.
Source: Kumasi Mail
