Western Region, Ghana – A fetish priest abandoned his shrine dedicated to the river goddess Togbe Nana Benin after the Anti-Galamsey taskforce, made up of the Western Regional National Security and the Western Naval Command, stormed the Ankobra River in a major crackdown on illegal mining.
The dramatic flight underscores the deep entanglement between spirituality and illegal mining activities in parts of the Western Region, where many miners are believed to seek supernatural protection to aid their operations.
Shrine of protection exposed
During the raid, security operatives uncovered a sacred room used for purification rituals, complete with a list of ritual requirements for clients. Items included:
- A sheep, a goat, six fowls, and a guinea fowl
- GHC 3,000 worth of cowries
- GHC 300 in cash
Nearby, two sheep and a chicken were tied up, apparently awaiting sacrifice.
Captain Nana Kwaku Owusu, visibly frustrated by the fetish priest’s escape, told reporters:
“This room is for the mallam. Juju man has escaped. Next time, when we come and he and the juju, we will burn them all.”
He stressed the taskforce’s determination to dismantle the spiritual support systems that embolden illegal miners despite ongoing government interventions.
Communities under strain
Despite the Ankobra River’s high levels of pollution, many local residents continue to depend on it for their survival. Daavi Akorfa, a food vendor catering to miners, admitted:
“We fetch this dirty water and add alum to purify it before we can use it.”
The contamination, according to residents, has worsened in recent years due to miners redirecting wastewater directly into the river.
Changing tactics of illegal miners
Brigadier General Musah Whajah (Rtd.) noted that miners have adapted their methods in an effort to evade crackdowns, worsening the environmental impact on the Ankobra. Nonetheless, the taskforce pledged to intensify efforts to restore the river’s health and protect surrounding communities.
Meanwhile, as naval officers enforced operations on the river, a separate team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) conducted simultaneous land-based operations at the Gwira Enclave to clamp down on illegal mining networks.
The coordinated actions form part of a renewed government push to dismantle illegal mining activities, which continue to devastate Ghana’s water bodies and farmlands.
Source – My News Ghana
