A former Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and security expert, Baffour Apenteng Nyamekye, has commended the government for designating the country’s rivers and forest reserves as security zones in the fight against illegal mining.
Speaking in a radio interview with Denkyiram Radio, Mr. Nyamekye explained that declaring an area a security zone places it under strict state protection with enhanced monitoring, restricted access, and tighter law enforcement. He noted that anyone who enters such zones without authorization risks arrest, prosecution, and other severe penalties, as activities there are considered threats to national security.
Mr. Nyamekye clarified that a security zone is not the same as a state of emergency. While a state of emergency suspends certain civil liberties across a wide area or the entire country, a security zone targets specific sites deemed critical to the nation’s safety and survival.
According to him, the government’s decision will give security agencies stronger legal backing to safeguard vital natural resources from illegal exploitation and destruction.
