The death toll from a confrontation between residents of Manso Keniago in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region and personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has risen to six, with 15 others sustaining injuries.
The incident reportedly followed a disagreement over the transportation of excavators seized by the anti-illegal mining task force during an operation in the community.
Initial accounts indicated that some residents and traditional authorities objected to the decision to drive the seized excavators through the community on the tarred road, insisting that the equipment should instead be transported on low-bed trailers.
The disagreement reportedly escalated into a confrontation between the residents and the NAIMOS personnel, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio II, the Domi-Keniago Chief, has since called for justice for those who lost their lives and demanded accountability for the incident.
The reported fatalities have been attributed to conflicting accounts from the community and NAIMOS, with the circumstances surrounding the shooting yet to be independently established.
NAIMOS, in an earlier statement, said its personnel encountered an armed group attempting to obstruct the movement of the excavators. The Secretariat explained that its officers fired warning shots to deter the group, but two of its personnel sustained gunshot wounds in the incident.
However, traditional authorities and residents have challenged that account, insisting that the excavator was not seized from Manso Keniago but was being transported through the community on a tarred government road.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 11, the community also alleged that one of its chiefs was physically assaulted and gunshots were fired at his vehicle during the confrontation.
The residents have called on President John Dramani Mahama and the Inspector-General of Police to initiate an independent investigation into the incident, provide medical assistance to the injured and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
The Assembly Member for the area, Charles Oduro, earlier reported four deaths and 15 injuries, saying some of the victims were from neighbouring communities. He disclosed this while visiting injured persons receiving treatment at St Martin’s Hospital.
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