The National Anti-Illegal Mining Secretariat (NAIMOS) has declared a renewed and uncompromising campaign against illegal mining, vowing to treat offen
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Secretariat (NAIMOS) has declared a renewed and uncompromising campaign against illegal mining, vowing to treat offenders as “enemies of the state.”
This declaration marks a new chapter in Ghana’s long-standing struggle to protect its lands, rivers, and forest reserves from the destructive impact of galamsey.
Addressing a high-level stakeholder engagement at the Jubilee House in Accra on Friday, Colonel Dominic Buah, Director of Operations at NAIMOS, said the Secretariat was determined to “smoke out” all illegal miners across the country.
The meeting, which brought together representatives of civil society organizations, government officials, and security agencies, forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader national dialogue on environmental protection and responsible mining.
Colonel Buah described illegal miners as “environmental terrorists” whose actions continue to wreak havoc on Ghana’s ecosystems.
He said NAIMOS had, in recent months, intensified its operations through intelligence-led arrests, the confiscation of changfans, and the seizure of excavators and other earth-moving machinery used in illegal mining.
“These individuals are the prime enemies of the state, and they will be dealt with as such,” he emphasized. “There will be no resting place for them. NAIMOS will go after every financier, every operator, and every accomplice destroying our environment.”
According to him, NAIMOS’ operations have already yielded notable results, including the successful reclamation of nine forest reserves that were previously overrun by heavily armed illegal miners.
The Secretariat has also dismantled several illegal mining sites operating under the cover of night or under the protection of local crime syndicates.
Colonel Buah revealed that over 400 trained personnel have been deployed to critical areas, with plans underway to expand the team and provide them with additional logistical support.
“We are not only removing illegal miners; we are restoring life to our lands and water bodies,” he said. “Very soon, our rivers will turn blue again and our forests will turn green.”
The Director further disclosed that NAIMOS’ operations are no longer limited to on-the-ground crackdowns but now extend to tracking the financial networks that bankroll galamsey operations.
This approach, he explained, would help dismantle the supply chain that sustains illegal mining and ensure that financiers face prosecution.
Since its establishment in 2024, NAIMOS has been at the forefront of Ghana’s anti-galamsey strategy, operating under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The Secretariat was created to bring coordination and intelligence to the fight against illegal mining, which had for years proven resistant to conventional policing and military interventions.
Illegal mining—popularly known as galamsey—has long been identified as one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental challenges, causing severe pollution of water bodies such as the Pra, Offin, and Ankobra Rivers. It has also resulted in the destruction of vast stretches of forest reserves and farmlands, threatening both biodiversity and livelihoods in affected communities.
In response, the government has introduced a multi-pronged reform strategy that includes policy enforcement, technological surveillance, and the strengthening of institutional collaboration between agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Commission, and NAIMOS.
Government sources say President Mahama’s administration is committed to providing NAIMOS with increased funding and logistical support to sustain its momentum.
The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry has also assured that community sensitization programs and alternative livelihood initiatives will accompany the enforcement measures.
For many environmentalists, NAIMOS’ renewed aggression signals a possible turning point in Ghana’s long, bruising battle against galamsey.
But the coming months will determine whether the Secretariat’s strong words will translate into sustainable results — and whether the miners branded “enemies of the state” can finally be defeated in a fight that has tested every government for over a decade.
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