The Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), Colonel Dominic Buah narrowly escaped harm after he and his team were violently attacked by a mob allegedly led by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi North, Mr. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, during an operation in the Ahafo Region.
The incident occurred on Saturday, November 1, when the Director, accompanied by ten soldiers, embarked on a reconnaissance mission to identify a suitable site for a permanent NAIMOS field base under its strategic plan to sustain the fight against illegal mining.
While travelling along the Goaso–Hwidiem highway, the team spotted an excavator engaged in mining activities near Bronikrom. They diverted to the site, arrested several illegal miners, and instructed them to refill the pits they had dug to curb further environmental damage.
One of the suspects was asked to summon the site owner. A man who claimed to be a Defence Intelligence representative from the Ahafo Region arrived first, followed by another identified as Alex, who arrogantly claimed ownership of the site. A third suspect later arrived in a Range Rover and was also arrested. The team then set ablaze makeshift structures used by the miners.
A search of the suspects’ vehicles uncovered one Smith & Wesson pistol, two pistol magazines with twenty-one rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition, twelve assorted mobile phones, a black side bag, GH¢11,000 in cash, a power bank, and a Lexus ignition key.
While arrangements were being made to transport the suspects to the Hwidiem Police Station, Mr. Addo arrived with a group of thugs. He claimed to be acting on behalf of Mr. Collins Dauda, MP for the area, and demanded the immediate release of the suspects, including a Burkinabè national, insisting they should not be seen in handcuffs.
The Director declined the unlawful request, maintaining that due process must be followed. The MP and his men then became violent, forcibly removing the handcuffs and chasing the NAIMOS team towards the police station.
At Hwidiem Police Station, matters escalated as a mob of about 600 people, allegedly incited by the MP, surrounded the premises, demanding the release of the suspects and the seized vehicles. They threatened to “discipline” the soldiers if their demands were ignored.
The mob vandalised the Director’s Toyota Hilux and threatened to burn down the police station. Despite reminders from officers for calm, the MP allegedly failed to restrain his supporters.
A reinforcement team led by Chief Superintendent Prince Odom-Koduah, the Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, arrived with a fifteen-member Regional Task Force supported by senior police commanders, including Superintendents John Atanga and Opoku Yamoah. Despite their presence, tensions remained high.
Hwidiem Zongo Chief, Alhaji Mohammed Bashiru Zarikyi, intervened, appealing to the mob to remain calm. As night fell and power was cut, the atmosphere became more dangerous. To avert bloodshed, the police, military, and Zongo Chief jointly agreed to hand over the keys to the seized vehicles to pacify the crowd.
The Chief then offered his Toyota Sequoia 4×4 to evacuate the NAIMOS Director of Operations, and his officers to safety at the Newmont site in Kenyase under police escort. During the evacuation, the soldiers were assaulted, and the vehicle’s rear windscreen was shattered. Fortunately, no injuries were recorded.
The Director later described the MP’s conduct as “unfortunate and a grave obstruction of national operations,” stressing that influential persons should support the fight against illegal mining rather than shield offenders or incite mobs against lawful enforcement.
He commended the professionalism of the police and military for their restraint and crisis management and reaffirmed NAIMOS’s commitment to continue the campaign to restore Ghana’s degraded lands, forests, and water bodies.
From Emmanuel Tetteh
