Lawyer Urges Parliament To Authorise Lethal Force Against Galamsey Operators

Lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo has called for Parliament to approve a law that would allow the use of lethal force against illegal miners operating in Ghana's forests and water bodies, arguing that the scale of galamsey has moved beyond ordinary law enforcement and now threatens public health and national security.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, April 25, Mr Akuffo said Ghana needed a more severe response to illegal mining because the practice continues to damage water bodies, degrade forests, and place innocent communities at risk.

"Let us pass an Act of Parliament, a drone policy, which eliminates galamseyers on the spot because they are threatening lives," he said.

Akuffo Pushes For Parliamentary Backing

Mr Akuffo, a lawyer based in Akropong-Akuapem, said the fight against illegal mining requires an Act of Parliament that clearly authorises a stronger enforcement regime. In his view, the current approach has not produced the level of deterrence needed to stop illegal operators from entering protected forests and polluting rivers.

He described galamsey as a matter that should no longer be treated with what he called "a charitable and presbyterian approach". According to him, the damage being caused is too serious for the state to rely on soft responses when offenders continue to operate in areas that directly affect public health and the environment.

His proposal centres on the use of surveillance drones to monitor designated mining zones daily. Under the approach he outlined, state agencies would be able to detect illegal mining activity in real time and move against operators who refuse to stop after warnings.

The lawyer argued that such a policy would allow Ghana to confront illegal mining with speed and precision, especially in areas where enforcement officers may struggle to maintain a constant physical presence. For him, technology should not only be used to observe the destruction but also to support decisive enforcement.

Illegal Mining Framed As A Threat To Life

Mr Akuffo linked his call for lethal enforcement to existing legal principles that allow the use of force when life is under threat or when a suspect resists lawful arrest. He argued that illegal mining has created conditions that endanger lives, particularly through the pollution of water bodies relied on by communities.

He said the consequences of galamsey go beyond pits and excavators. The contamination of rivers, the destruction of forest cover, and the pressure placed on communities have turned the problem into a public health emergency. In his view, those effects justify an extraordinary state response.

The proposal is likely to provoke strong debate because it places the fight against galamsey at the intersection of environmental protection, policing powers, human rights, and national security. Mr Akuffo's position is clear: he believes illegal mining has become so dangerous that Parliament must define a tougher legal threshold for dealing with offenders in protected areas.

He maintained that Ghana cannot continue to watch water bodies deteriorate while enforcement operations fail to end the practice. According to him, the repeated failure of previous measures shows that the state must consider a new framework that is more forceful and more difficult for illegal miners to ignore.

Drone Surveillance Proposed For Mining Areas

At the centre of the proposal is a drone monitoring system that would keep daily watch over mining areas. Mr Akuffo said drones could help identify illegal operators and support enforcement actions against those who do not comply with orders to stop.

His argument is that illegal miners operating in forests and water bodies are not only breaking mining rules but also placing the wider population in danger. He said communities that depend on polluted water sources bear the burden of the activity, even when they are not involved in mining.

• He wants Parliament to pass a law authorising lethal force against illegal miners in forests and water bodies.
• He proposes daily drone surveillance of designated mining areas.
• He says warnings should be followed by enforcement against those who refuse to stop.
• He describes galamsey as a national security and public health emergency.
• He links the proposal to legal provisions on threats to life and resistance to lawful arrest.

Mr Akuffo's comments add to the pressure on public authorities to find a lasting answer to illegal mining. While successive enforcement efforts have sought to reduce the practice, he insists the results have not matched the scale of the damage.

The lawyer's central case is that the state must treat illegal miners in these sensitive locations as actors whose conduct places lives at risk. He said the pollution of rivers and the damage to forest areas continue to harm innocent people, making a stronger response necessary.

His intervention also underlines the growing frustration around galamsey as polluted rivers and degraded forests remain central concerns in national discussions. For Mr Akuffo, the issue is no longer whether Ghana should act, but whether the country is prepared to adopt a tougher legal and operational response to protect lives, water bodies, and forest reserves.