The Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has ordered the Criminal Investigations Department to take over the probe into an attack on officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
The attack happened on Saturday, November 1, when the Director of Operations of NAIMOS and his team arrested suspected illegal miners near Bronikrom. The team also seized weapons and vehicles believed to be connected to the suspects.
According to police, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, allegedly arrived at the scene with a group and demanded the release of the arrested miners. When the officers refused, the group reportedly removed the suspects’ handcuffs and forced the team to leave the area.
Later that day, a crowd of about 600 people, said to have been incited by the MP, stormed the Hwidiem Police Station demanding the release of the suspects and their vehicles. The mob vandalized the Director’s car, damaged parts of the station, and threatened to burn it down. Reinforcement teams from the Ahafo Regional Command were deployed to restore order.
Calm was later restored through the combined efforts of the police, the military, and the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem, who helped mediate the situation and ensure the safe evacuation of the NAIMOS team. No injuries were reported, although the Chief’s vehicle was damaged during the chaos.
The police say the CID headquarters will lead the investigation, and the Asutifi North MP has been invited to assist with inquiries.
