Maame Ayisua
Residents of Adiewoso in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region have accused some soldiers of subjecting women and other community members to severe physical abuse, including alleged stripping and flogging during a dawn operation linked to anti-illegal mining enforcement operation.
The incident, which reportedly occurred in the mining community, has sparked widespread anger and condemnation among residents, with many describing the conduct of the military personnel as excessive and dehumanising.
According to accounts from the community, the soldiers allegedly stormed Adiewoso following earlier tensions over illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, on a concession said to belong to a rubber processing company in the area.
Residents said the military personnel had initially entered the community to clamp down on mining activities, leading to a confrontation with some locals.
The situation, they claimed, escalated when the soldiers returned in a separate operation and began rounding up residents, including male adults, teachers, and women.
Several residents alleged that during the operation, some women were stripped naked and flogged at their buttocks. Others also reported being beaten severely and threatened at gunpoint.
One of the victims, identified as Maame Ayisua, recounted a disturbing experience, alleging that about three armed soldiers stormed her room at dawn and ordered her to lie on the floor.
“They then removed my underpants and whipped me repeatedly on my bare buttocks,” she alleged.
A visit by DAILY GUIDE to Adiewoso revealed that several residents were nursing injuries, with visible bruises on their backs and other parts of their bodies.
Some community members further alleged that the soldiers issued threats during the operation while enforcing the anti-galamsey clampdown.
The alleged assault has triggered outrage in the mining community, with residents calling for accountability and an independent investigation into the conduct of the military personnel involved.
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) which had some of its teachers experiencing the military brutalities has strongly condemned the reported action, describing it as inhumane and unacceptable.
The association has called on the Ministries of the Interior and Defence to launch a full-scale investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Adiewoso