Nine military personnel narrowly avoided being attacked by an angry mob after conducting an anti-galamsey operation at Bronikrom near Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
The soldiers traveling on national duties to Goaso discovered an illegal mining site at Bronikrom, raided the operation, and arrested the owner. Military personnel reportedly confiscated two vehicles, mobile phones, and two pistols during the operation. They also set fire to wooden structures and mining equipment at the site.
The action prompted approximately 600 residents to storm Hwidiem police station where the soldiers had gone to file an official complaint. The crowd demanded immediate release of the two seized vehicles and requested that police hand over the soldiers for disciplinary action.
The irate mob vandalized a Toyota Hilux pickup with registration number AD 7191-25 belonging to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) team, smashing its windscreen during the confrontation.
Police reinforcements were deployed from Regional Headquarters to Hwidiem after receiving reports of the volatile situation developing at the station. Upon arrival, officers found seven male and one female military personnel at the charge office, while two others remained in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) offices under police protection as the mob grew increasingly agitated.
The crowd continued demanding release of the ignition keys for the seized vehicles. Officials grew concerned as darkness fell and a power outage created conditions the mob could exploit to attack the station.
Police, military personnel, and Zongo Chief of Hwidiem Zarikyi, Mohammed Bashiru, reached an agreement to release the ignition keys to vehicle owners to de-escalate the crisis. The chief had earlier attempted unsuccessfully to persuade the mob to exercise restraint.
Chief Mohammed Bashiru offered his personal Toyota Sequoia four-wheel drive vehicle to evacuate the military personnel to safety. However, during the rescue operation, protesters vandalized the chief’s vehicle and smashed its rear windscreen.
The incident occurred on the same day that NAIMOS conducted separate operations in the Ahafo Region. Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced that the anti-galamsey taskforce raided an illegal mining site at Bronikrom and Hwediem, arresting several individuals including a Burkinabe national. The galamsey site was located approximately ten meters from the Hwediem to Goaso Highway.
NAIMOS was established under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources with a direct mandate from the President to combat illegal mining activities nationwide. The secretariat coordinates intelligence-driven field operations aimed at protecting water bodies and forest reserves from environmental degradation caused by galamsey operations.
Government has deployed permanent military presence at 44 locations identified as galamsey hotspots across Ghana. Unlike previous operations where personnel withdrew after flushing out illegal miners, current strategy maintains forces on the ground indefinitely to prevent resumption of illegal activities.
Illegal mining remains a significant environmental challenge affecting multiple regions including Ashanti, Eastern, Western, and Ahafo. Mining operations have contaminated major water bodies including the Ankobra, Pra, and Birim Rivers with toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide.
Authorities have documented increasing confrontations between anti-galamsey forces and illegal miners in recent months. The government has vowed to intensify enforcement efforts while seeking to provide alternative livelihoods for mining communities through responsible cooperative mining schemes.
