A lawyer, Kwame Boafo Akuffo Esq of Akropong-Akuapem, has called for an Act of Parliament that would authorise the use of lethal force against illegal miners operating in Ghana’s forest and water bodies.

He argued that illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has reached a national security and public health emergency level, requiring what he described as “a drastic measure and not charitable and presbyterian approach”.

He proposed the deployment of surveillance drones to monitor designated mining areas on a daily basis, with enforcement measures applied against offenders who refuse to comply with warnings to stop illegal operations.

"Let us pass an Act of Parliament, a drone policy, which eliminates galamseyers on the spot because they are threatening lives," he said on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, April 25.

Mr Akuffo justified his position by referencing existing legal provisions that permit the use of force in situations where life is under threat or where suspects resist lawful arrest.

He linked illegal mining activities to environmental degradation and public health risks, particularly the pollution of water bodies, which he said continues to endanger communities and strain the lives of innocent people.

According to him, repeated enforcement efforts have failed to curb the menace, insisting that a more extraordinary state response is required to bring the practice under control.

Watch his views in the video below;