Five Injured After Clash With Police
Five alleged illegal miners have been admitted at the hospital after sustaining gunshot injuries in a clash with police officers.
The incident took place on Wednesday, 14th July, 2021 around 4pm at Ntotoroso District of the Ahafo region.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ahafo Regional Police Command, about sixty young men stormed the premises of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited, a mining company in the region and opened fire on security personnel there.
In retaliation, five of the young men ended up wounded and were taken to the hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.
He however noted that no arrest has been made.
“On 14th July, 2021 around 1600hrs, some youth of Ntotoroso, numbering about sixty attacked the base of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited where security officers resides and perform their duties; protecting the concession and the staff of Newmont.”
“They had offensive weapons like cutlasses, guns and clubs. They broke into the camp. The police initially cautioned them but they didn’t listen and started firing so the police returned fire on them to demobilize the mob.”
“As a result, five young men got injured and are at the hospital at the moment receiving treatment.”
According to ASP Kwame Loh, the attack was purported against the camp after some illegal miners who encroached the concession of Newmont Limited were recently arrested and arraigned before court.
“The lands of Newmont was encroached by illegal miners. Lately, the police arrested a whole lot of them who are in court”, he noted on Eyewitness news.
The Director of Communication and External Relations for Newmont Gold Limited, Agbeku Azuma also confirmed the incident.
“For while now we have had incidence of invasion into our active mining areas by these illegal mining operators so with the collaboration of the Ahafo Regional Police and other security agencies we are managing the situation.”
“Two weeks ago about six illegal miners encroaching our lands were arrested, afterwards their allies attacked our buses as a reprisal attack, so they attacked our contractor buses and would not allow them to pass because they felt the police were holding their colleagues in custody”, he said on Eyewitness news.
Source: Opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
