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Adrume – August 28 – 24HourNews – Residents of Adrume, a community in the Weta Traditional Area of the Ketu North Municipality, are living in fear following the resurgence of illegal sand winning activities in the area.
For over two years, the community has battled the menace, which has left in its wake deep pits, eroded farmlands and threats to lives. The situation compelled government to intervene and halt the activity.
However, on July 28, 2026, the illegal activity has returned, bigger and bolder.
The Assembly Member for Adrume Electoral Area, Hon. Hope Detikey, said that he encountered gangs with tipper trucks operating on a prohibited site. While some managed to escape, he ordered the rest to stop work or face arrest.
According to Hon. Detikey, minutes after his intervention, an unidentified chief from Weta allegedly called him, pleading that the gangs be allowed to load “just 10 more trucks.”
He said when he refused to endanger the community further, the chief allegedly mobilized more gangs with excavators and trucks who are now winning sand by force, turning Adrume into a zone of chaos, fear and lawlessness.
As a result, over 200 acres of farmlands have been lost, depriving farmers of their livelihoods and threatening food security in the area.
Residents say the continuous sand winning is exacting a heavy toll on the community:
– Farmers have no land to till, plunging families into hardship and hunger
– Armed gangs and machines operating day and night have created insecurity and fear
– Massive pits are potential death traps and will cause flooding during the rainy season
– No farm income means parents cannot afford school fees, leading to school dropouts
The residents are therefore making a passionate appeal to the Ketu North Municipal Assembly, the Volta Regional Minister, the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the security agencies to as a matter of urgency intervene to stop the illegal sand winning and bring perpetrators to book.
Efforts to reach the chief mentioned in the report for his side of the story proved futile as at press time.