A confrontation between soldiers attached to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and irate youth in Ahafo Hwidiem has sparked public concern and police investigation, following a viral video showing police rescuing nine soldiers from a violent mob.
What happened
A video circulating on social media captures the tense moment armed police officers shielded and evacuated members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) from the Hwidiem Police Station in the Ahafo Region.
The soldiers, numbering nine, were reportedly attacked by a large crowd of residents believed to be involved in illegal mining (galamsey).
In the footage, police officers are seen forming a human barricade as they rushed five of the soldiers into a vandalized 4×4 vehicle amid shouts and chaos.
The vehicle’s rear windscreen had been smashed, and the soldiers were assaulted as they tried to enter before the vehicle sped off to safety.
Reports indicate that the soldiers, who were on official duty in Goaso, had discovered an illegal mining site at Bronikrom near Hwidiem.
They arrested the site owner, confiscated two vehicles, mobile phones, two pistols and reportedly set fire to mining structures and equipment.
Police invite Asutifi North MP for questioning over mob attacking NAIMOS team
The action triggered anger among locals, leading to a violent mob of about 600 people who besieged the Hwidiem Police Station where the soldiers had gone to lodge a report.
The mob demanded the release of the seized vehicles and the “handing over” of the soldiers for “discipline.”
The mob vandalized a Toyota Hilux pickup belonging to NAIMOS, compelling police reinforcement teams from the Ahafo Regional Command to intervene.
When reinforcement arrived, the officers found seven male and one female soldier at the charge office, with two others under police protection.
Amid the growing tension and a power outage that worsened the situation, the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem, Alhaji Zarikyi Mohammed Bashiru, mediated a truce and offered his own vehicle to transport the soldiers to safety. His Toyota Sequoia was, however, vandalized during the evacuation.
NAIMOS director’s account
The Public Relations Officer of NAIMOS, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, relayed the Director of Operations’ account, revealing that Colonel Dominic Buah and his team “survived by the mercy of God.”
Speaking to TV3, Schandorf said, “When the incident happened, the director told me they nearly lost their lives. The attack was bloody and if you listen to their narration, it could have been a completely different story.”
NAIMOS Attack: I never ordered release of arrested suspects – Collins Dauda speaks
He further clarified that the team had no planned operation in Hwidiem but chanced upon an active illegal mining site while returning to Accra from an assignment elsewhere in the region.
MPs respond to allegations
Two Members of Parliament, Collins Dauda (Asutifi South) and Ebenezer Kwaku Addo (Asutifi North) have denied any involvement in the violent incident.
Asutifi South MP, Collins Dauda
Collins Dauda, who was in South Africa on parliamentary duties at the time, explained on Asempa FM that he only requested information about the soldiers’ activities in his constituency after receiving calls from residents.
He said he asked the local assemblyman to visit the site and connect him with the commander of the NAIMOS team for a briefing but the officer declined.
Dauda added that he later reached out to the Asutifi North MP, Ebenezer Addo who was attending a funeral nearby to help him speak with the commander.
According to Dauda, Addo’s visit to the site was purely at his request and not an independent action.
‘I survived by the mercy of God’ – What NAIMOS director said after Ahafo Hwidiem attack
“He had no plans of going there; I asked him to speak to the team so I could understand what was happening,” he clarified, stressing that he neither ordered the release of suspects nor knew of any thugs involved.
Asutifi North MP, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo
In a separate interview on Adom TV, Addo rejected claims that he led a mob to attack the soldiers, insisting that he went to the site only to calm tensions.
“How can I mobilize 600 thugs to attack state security when I was on my way to a funeral?” he questioned.
“I rather commend the soldiers for their professionalism and calmness during the chaos.”
Addo also refuted suggestions that he interfered with the arrest of the illegal miners, emphasising that as a lawmaker, he supports the national campaign against galamsey.
Eyewitness and media accounts
Journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, who first reported the confrontation, claimed that Addo arrived at the scene with thugs demanding the release of arrested illegal miners, including a Burkinabe national.
He alleged that the MP and his men forcibly removed handcuffs from the suspects and pursued the NAIMOS team to the Hwidiem Police Station, where the mob subsequently gathered.
This account, however, has been dismissed by both MPs as “false and misleading.”
Police statement and ongoing investigation
Following the chaos, the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters to take over the case.
A police statement confirmed that preliminary investigations revealed that the NAIMOS team intercepted illegal miners near Bronikrom and arrested suspects with a pistol, ammunition and two unregistered vehicles.
It further noted that “a Member of Parliament reportedly arrived with a group and demanded their release.
When the demand was refused, the group forcibly removed the suspects’ handcuffs and chased the NAIMOS team.”
The statement added that a mob of about 600 people later stormed the Hwidiem Police Station, vandalizing property and threatening to burn the station.
Calm was eventually restored through the intervention of the police, military and the Zongo Chief.
The police condemned the attack, cautioning against interference in law enforcement operations, and confirmed that the Asutifi North MP, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, had been invited to assist with investigations.
“A special operation has been launched to identify and arrest all perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law,” the statement concluded.
AM/SSM
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