Five young people have sustained various injuries in a stampede at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium during the ongoing Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has announced.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, comes just hours after a tragic stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra that claimed the lives of at least six potential recruits and left several others critically injured.
In a Facebook post, Dr. Amoakohene expressed profound regret over the mishap.
“I have been informed of five (5) young people who sustained various injuries during the unfortunate stampede at the ongoing military screening exercise at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
“I have since directed that they receive the best possible medical care and full support to ensure their speedy recovery.
“We deeply regret this incident and remain committed to ensuring that all future recruitment and screening exercises are conducted in a safe, orderly, and humane manner.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected individuals and their families,” he wrote.
The stampede at Baba Yara Stadium reportedly ensued as thousands of eager applicants, hoping to enlist in the GAF for the 2025/2026 recruitment drive, surged forward amid chaotic crowds, breaching security barriers ahead of the scheduled screening.
This follows a similar catastrophe earlier in the day at El-Wak Stadium, where a desperate rush by applicants led to a deadly crush.
The GAF confirmed that six individuals, later reports indicated as young women, lost their lives, with others requiring emergency treatment at the 37 Military Hospital.
President John Dramani Mahama, who visited the injured at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, described the El-Wak incident as “heartbreaking” and confirmed the fatalities.
He has since directed the GAF to temporarily suspend the nationwide recruitment exercise pending investigations into the circumstances surrounding both tragedies.