Jerusalem in the forest: Inside the lawless galamsey settlement of Abrewa Ne Nkran

What started as rumors of illegal mining in the forest has been revealed. It is a dangerous underworld based on exploitation, violence, and impunity.

Nana Poku Bosompim, the Western Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, shared insights about Abrewa Ne Nkran. This galamsey settlement housed over 10,000 people from across West Africa.

“There were around 10,000 people living there,” he said. “But it wasn’t a community. It was more like a slum—think Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Abrewa Ne Nkran was not governed by laws or local authorities. Instead, it was controlled by a brutal militia called ‘the Bulldogs.’

The Bulldogs imposed their own rules and controlled access to mining areas. They ruled with firearms and operated largely unchecked.

“The Bulldogs were running the show,” Bosompim explained. “They were armed with rifles and pump-action guns.”

They charged illegal miners daily tolls ranging from GH₵200 to GH₵500. It resembled a cartel running its own business.

Licensed mining companies were chased away from the area. Young people were also recruited into this trade.

The exploitation network was vast and sinister, shocking even officials. One story involved a young girl trapped in forced sexual servitude.

“Every day, she was forced to sleep with five to ten men,” he shared. “When she paid off her debt, they celebrated her graduation in the forest.”

Bosompim admitted that authorities knew about some illegal activities but underestimated their scale.

“We knew about it but didn’t realize how deep it went,” he said. “The Bulldogs had established their own government.”

Authorities could not enter without military backup due to safety concerns. Locals ominously referred to the area as “Jerusalem in the forest.”

“But there was nothing holy about what was happening there,” Bosompim stressed.

These revelations raise fresh concerns about illegal mining in Ghana and its unchecked criminal systems.