Awula Serwah, Executive Director of Eco-Conscious Citizens
Environmental advocacy group Eco-Conscious Citizens has called on Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to discontinue the prosecution of five environmental activists known as the Atronsu Five, describing them as innocent citizens working to protect the environment from illegal mining activities.
In a statement issued ahead of World Environment Day 2026, the group urged environmentalists and concerned citizens to support its campaign by petitioning the Attorney General to withdraw the charges against the activists.
According to Eco-Conscious Citizens, the activists, who include farmers from the Atronsu area, were arrested on November 8, 2024, during Farmers’ Day celebrations after opposing alleged illegal and irresponsible mining activities in the Atronsu landscape and around the Nana Atronsu Stream, which serves as the community’s main source of drinking water.
The group said the activists were initially denied police and court bail and spent five nights in custody before being granted bail by the court. It noted that since then, the case has experienced several adjournments, with investigations reportedly still ongoing.
Eco-Conscious Citizens said that during the most recent court sitting on April 17, 2026, prosecutors requested another adjournment to review a petition related to the case.
The organization recalled that it submitted a petition to the Attorney General’s Office on August 26, 2025, seeking the withdrawal of charges against the activists. It also referenced the Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations held on March 26, 2026, where its Executive Director, Awula Serwah, raised the issue directly with President John Dramani Mahama.
According to the group, the President indicated he was not previously aware of the case and suggested that the Attorney General, who was present at the event, could respond. However, no response was provided during the dialogue.
Eco-Conscious Citizens further disclosed that a plea bargain had been proposed but was rejected by the accused activists, who maintain their innocence regarding charges of conspiracy and causing unlawful damage to excavators.
The group expressed concern that the prolonged legal process could create a perception that the justice system is being used to intimidate environmental defenders. It argued that repeated court appearances have imposed financial costs, stress and inconvenience on the accused.
As part of its World Environment Day activities, the organization is encouraging members of the public to petition the Attorney General to discontinue the case and to support environmental activists and journalists working to expose environmental degradation linked to illegal mining.
The group also commended the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), led by Colonel Buah, for operations carried out in March 2026 that resulted in the removal of excavators and the arrest of alleged illegal miners in the Atronsu landscape.
However, Eco-Conscious Citizens expressed concern over reports of Colonel Buah’s reassignment, warning that illegal miners could attempt to return to the area. It appealed to President Mahama to reconsider the decision to rotate the officer.
