One dead, others injured in military‑civilian clash at Nyinahini
A violent confrontation in Nyinahini, Ashanti Region, has left one young man dead and five others wounded after soldiers allegedly opened fire on mourners wearing military‑style clothing.
According to local sources, the incident occurred on Thursday, 24 April 2025, as a contingent of Ghana Armed Forces personnel travelled through Nyinahini. The troops noticed several members of a funeral procession dressed in camouflage—an outfit reserved in Ghana for the security services. Eyewitness Rev. Francis Nyamekye recounted that soldiers halted the cortege and demanded an explanation for the unauthorised attire. Tensions rose quickly when some of the youths refused to remove the garments, arguing that camouflage patterns are now common in everyday fashion.
An argument escalated into a scuffle that reportedly saw stones and sticks hurled at the soldiers. In response, eyewitnesses say, the military fired warning shots that soon turned into live rounds directed at the crowd. One mourner—whose name has not yet been released—was struck and died instantly. Five additional individuals suffered gunshot wounds; four were treated at the Nyinahini Government Hospital while one critically injured victim was transferred to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi for specialist care.
News of the shooting has spread shock and fear throughout Nyinahini, a mining community already on edge over recent law‑enforcement crackdowns on illegal mining and timber operations. Although neither the Ghana Police Service nor the Ghana Armed Forces had issued an official statement by press time, unconfirmed reports suggest the camouflage‑clad mourners may have been involved in illicit activities, prompting heightened suspicion among the soldiers.
Community leaders are calling for calm while demanding a swift, transparent investigation. Residents insist that even if the deceased and the injured were engaged in wrongdoing, lethal force was unwarranted. Civil‑society groups have echoed these sentiments, urging the military high command to clarify its rules of engagement when dealing with civilians and to sanction any personnel found to have used excessive force.
The National Commission for Civic Education has also weighed in, reminding the public that Ghana’s laws prohibit civilians from wearing military uniforms or items that might cause them to be mistaken for service members. Nonetheless, human‑rights advocates argue that improper dress should never justify live ammunition against unarmed people.
As medical teams work to stabilize the injured, families of the victims are preparing to petition Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee for an independent inquiry. Many hope that CCTV or mobile‑phone footage from the scene will shed light on exactly how a confrontation over clothing spiralled into deadly violence.
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