Akufo-Addo Mourns Death of Six Recruits in El-Wak Stadium Tragedy
- Six potential Ghana Armed Forces recruits lost their lives in a stampede at El-Wak Stadium in Accra on November 12, 2026
- Over 25 others were injured, with five in critical condition, after some applicants reportedly breached security protocols
- Former President Nana Akufo-Addo consoled the families of the six victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery
- Yakub Alfa Suleiman, the founder of the Journalists Network for Peace and Security (JNePS), shared his views on this in a discussion with YEN.com.gh
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The former President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has expressed his deep condolences to the families of six potential recruits who lost their lives in a tragic incident at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra.
Aside from the six people who lost their lives in the stampede, which occurred on Wednesday, November 12, over 25 others are also said to have sustained various degrees of injuries, with five more in critical condition.
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Source: Facebook
The victims had left home to undergo military screenings and body inspections, but lost their lives in the tragic incident instead.
Former President Akufo-Addo, in a statement issued on Thursday, November 13, 2025, stated that he had returned to Ghana from Angola to hear the devastating news of the tragedy.
He wished the injured a speedy recovery and prayed for the strength and resilience of the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy.
"I returned from Angola to the devastating news of the tragic deaths of six potential recruits into the Ghana Armed Forces, with several others receiving treatment for varying degrees of injuries sustained from the incident, at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra," he wrote on Facebook.
"I convey to the bereaved families my deep condolences and wish the potential recruits in hospital a rapid recovery from their injuries, and indeed, from the accompanying trauma to all who were at the El-Wak Stadium, their parents or guardians, and their loved ones. It is my hope that each day will bring you renewed strength. May the Lord be with us all at this difficult moment," he added.
Read Akufo-Addo's Facebook post below:
Army explains cause of El-Wak stampede
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has blamed the incident on applicants who allegedly breached security protocols.
Thousands of applicants had moved to the stadium as part of the body selection process for recruitment into the armed forces.
The army stated that preliminary investigations indicate the stampede was triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates ahead of the scheduled screening.
According to reports, it was only after the stampede that personnel cordoned off the area, with the military blocking all major roads leading to the El-Wak Stadium to maintain order and facilitate rescue operations.
Military blamed for El-Wak incident
Reacting to this in a discussion with YEN.com.gh, Yakub Alfa Suleiman, the founder of the Journalists Network for Peace and Security (JNePS), attributed the incident to a lack of skill in crowd management and proactive leadership, which he felt was unbecoming of the security services.
He questioned how such a tragedy could occur despite previous experiences in organising similar exercises.
"What happened to years of experience in understanding how we behave, and the mechanisms that should be put in place to avoid such tragic incidents? This is not a case of an unexpected situation, but rather a lack of skill in crowd management and proactive leadership, which the security services should not be seen lacking," he added.
Reactions to Akufo-Addo's message on El-Wak stampede
Akufo-Addo's message on the El-Wak stampede has stirred reactions on social media. YEN.com.gh gathered a few of the reactions below:
@Frimpz K Kheiter said:
"May their souls rest in peace … this isn’t political , we need to modernise the recruitment process and at least book them in batches .Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a real statesman."
@Billy Agyekum also said:
"Greatest and best President of our time. All well meaning discerning GHANAIAN'S will forever remember you of your great legacy and policy.GOD continue to bless you and our nation GHANA."
@Kwame Kiki commented:
"Statesman! If it had been Mahama in opposition, he would have blamed the government of the day for this unfortunate incident. You’ve demonstrated true statesmanship."
Source: Facebook
Parliament donates to El-Wak stampede victims
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the Parliament of Ghana had donated GH₵100,000 to victims of the El-Wak Stadium stampede.
Speaker Alban Bagbin said the donation was a token of solidarity with the victims and a demonstration of commitment to the welfare of the victims.
Ghanaians commended the leadership of Parliament and called for accountability over the stampede, which sadly claimed the lives of six people.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
