Families of Six Who Died in El-Wak Stampede Granted Automatic Military Enlistment
The Deputy Minister for Defence, Brogya Genfi, has announced that a designated member from each family of the six women who died in the stampede at El-Wak Stadium during a military recruitment screening exercise will be granted automatic enlistment.
The news was conveyed to families of some deceased victims during a visit on November 14, 2025, at Mankessim in the Central Region.
The decision is aimed at honouring their memories.
The incident happened at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra, where applicants of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) 2025/2026 recruitment exercise assembled for screening.
The stampede, which occurred shortly before the recruitment exercise began at around 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, was confirmed in a press release by Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of Public Relations for the Ghana Armed Forces.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the stampede was triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates ahead of the scheduled screening. This sudden movement led to chaos and multiple casualties.
As of November 13, five of the victims were still at the Intensive Care Unit, with two improving steadily.
“Thirteen patients at TSEU are stable and under further management. The rest have been treated and discharged for follow-up care,” the Minister said earlier.
Meanwhile, military leaders who were overseeing the recruitment exercise at the time of the incident have been directed to step aside to make way for a full inquiry.
He noted that recruitment processes in Accra remain suspended until further notice, while the exercise in other regions continues smoothly.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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