In a determined push to combat illegal mining and protect Ghana’s forests and rivers, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has reshuffled 34 police commanders stationed in some of the country’s most notorious galamsey hotspots.
The wide-ranging shake-up, announced on Monday, marks the first phase of what Mr. Yohuno has described as a national strategy to strengthen law enforcement and eliminate corruption in areas hardest hit by illegal mining. The reassignment affects divisional and district commanders across the Western, Western North, Ashanti, Eastern, and Northern regions — all of which have suffered environmental devastation from the ongoing galamsey crisis.
Among the key changes, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jonathan A. Lamptey has been moved from the Gambaga Divisional Command to head the Takoradi Divisional Command, while ACP Thomas Osei Ababio shifts from Asankragwa to Yendi in the Northern Region. ACP Raymond Kofi Erzuah will leave Tarkwa for Kpando in the Volta Region, and ACP Samuel Yeboah has been reassigned from Kpando to Essiama.
Several district commanders have also been rotated in an effort to plug institutional loopholes and curb any signs of complacency or collusion with illegal miners. The reshuffle also brings new faces to regions like Prestea, Dawurampong, Asankragwa, and Tarkwa — all flashpoints in the fight against environmental crime.
The reshuffle comes just as police reported a major breakthrough in the galamsey crackdown. An intelligence-led operation between April 17 and April 20 in the Samreboi enclave of the Western Region led to the arrest of 47 suspected illegal miners, including eight Chinese nationals and four women.
The raid, which targeted sites along the Tano River and in the Aboi, Subri, and Nimiri forest reserves, uncovered heavy equipment believed to have been used in illegal mining, including 17 excavators, a bulldozer, multiple vehicles, industrial pumping machines, and firearms.
All suspects are in police custody and are expected to be prosecuted.
The IGP’s latest actions — reshuffling commanders while conducting aggressive field operations — have been described by security analysts as the most assertive moves yet in Ghana’s long-running battle against galamsey. Mr. Yohuno has promised that this is just the beginning, with more leadership changes and enforcement operations planned in the coming weeks.
