On May 29, 2017, Major Maxwell Adam Mahama (then a Captain) was brutally lynched by an angry mob at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.
The incident shook the entire nation, sparking an ongoing debate with regards to the dangers of mob justice in the country.
His father, Capt. Dennis Mahama Adam (Rtd.) reflecting on the incident after almost a decade says the pain is still fresh.
“Painful as it is, I have often wished never again to revisit that episode. Yet it has remained impossible to forget. Time may soften grief, but it does not erase memory; and memory, if properly guided, can become a force for reflection and change,” he said.
Major Mahama was serving as the commander of a military detachment deployed to the area to fight illegal mining (galamsey) operations when residents mistook him to be an armed thief.
Till now, Galamsey is still a menace alongside several reports on mob attack.
A close relative, Mahama Haruna, who spoke on behalf of the family during a wreath laying event said the family continues to grieve Major Maxwell Adam Mahama.
“The death of Major Mahama should have ended mob justice in Ghana. But till date, we still read news of mob justice across the country. So sometimes you wonder, why should people in the prime of their life, very useful people to Ghana, be killed in such a gruesome manner. The case of Major Mahama was like, let me say, he was not a criminal. And for us as a family, it’s a very painful chapter in the history of our family,“ he said.
According to him, it is about time security agencies and communities come together to take another look at mob justice in the country.
“The judiciary, those in charge of law enforcement, must sit up. They must sit up. So that some of these issues are handled, not only handled, but handled in a very swift manner. So, for us, we think as a country, we must all be up and doing. We must all respect our laws. We must abide by, I mean, the rule of law. And I believe Ghana will have a very perfect society.”
In January 2024, Twelve out of the 14 persons standing trial were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
In 2025 a former Assembly man of Denkyira Obuasi William Baah was acquitted and discharged.
Though years have passed since Major Mahama’s death, the pain of that tragedy still lingers serving as a painful reminder that suspicion must never replace justice, as renewed calls are being made for communities to choose dialogue, restraint, and humanity over mob violence.
By Samuel Yeboah Adams
