Dadwene Community Demands Unqualified Apology from Police and Military Over Wrongful Mass Arrests
Residents of Dadwene in the Ashanti Region are demanding an unqualified apology from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces following what they describe as the wrongful and unjustified arrest of more than 240 men from their community. The arrests, which occurred during a joint military–police operation on November 12, 2025, have sparked widespread anger, frustration, and a call for accountability from the security agencies involved.
The operation, according to police reports, targeted persons believed to have participated in violent attacks on anti-illegal mining taskforces, police officers, and officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A total of 300 suspects were rounded up across multiple locations, including Dadwene. However, community leaders insist that the overwhelming majority of the men picked up in their community were innocent and had no connection to the alleged disturbances.
After spending two weeks in remand custody, the Tafo District Court and the Atasamanso Circuit Court on November 27, 2025, granted bail to 240 of the men arrested from Dadwene. This development has strengthened the community’s conviction that the arrests were carried out without proper investigation, profiling, or verification of identities.
Speaking to the media, community leader Kwabena Fosu condemned the security agencies for what he described as a “careless and ill-informed” operation that caused significant emotional and economic hardship to families in the area.
“These are innocent men who had done absolutely nothing,” Mr. Fosu stressed. “They were picked up, humiliated, and taken away from their families for two whole weeks. Many of them are breadwinners who run their own businesses, and the disruptions have led to financial losses and untold suffering. We believe the police and the military must take responsibility for the trauma and disgrace they caused.”
Mr. Fosu also criticized the approach taken by the joint taskforce, arguing that security operations must be guided by intelligence, professionalism, and respect for human rights, not mass arrests that lump innocent residents together with suspected offenders.
Community members recounted how families were thrown into panic, with many left unsure of the whereabouts or condition of their loved ones. Some women said they struggled to feed their children during the period their husbands and relatives were in custody, while others reported that businesses owned by the detained men were forced to shut down temporarily.
The residents of Dadwene say the bail decision proves their long-held assertion that the men were wrongfully arrested, and they are therefore calling for a full, unqualified apology from both the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces. They also want assurances that such incidents will not occur again.
The community is preparing to pursue the matter further, including seeking formal engagements with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Chief of Defence Staff, and other relevant bodies to demand accountability and reforms in how large-scale security operations are conducted in civilian areas.
As tensions continue to rise, Dadwene residents maintain that their demand is not only about clearing the names of the affected men but also about restoring the dignity of the entire community and ensuring justice is served.
