The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters to take over investigations into the violent attack on the Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and his team by a mob at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
The directive follows preliminary findings linking the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Hon. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, to the incident.
The MP is alleged to have incited the mob and obstructed the NAIMOS team during an operation to arrest illegal miners. He has since been invited by police to assist with the ongoing investigation.
According to the Ghana Police Service, the NAIMOS team intercepted illegal miners operating near Bronikrom on Saturday, November 1, 2025, and arrested several suspects. Items seized during the operation included a Smith & Wesson pistol, two magazines, 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an unregistered Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and several mobile phones.
While preparing to hand over the suspects to the Hwidiem Police Station, the MP allegedly arrived with a group of men demanding their release. When the request was denied, the group reportedly removed the suspects’ handcuffs and chased the NAIMOS officials from the scene.
A mob of about 600 people, believed to have been incited by the MP, later besieged the police station, demanding the release of the suspects. The crowd vandalized the Director’s vehicle, damaged parts of the station, and attempted to set it ablaze. Reinforcement teams from the Ahafo Regional Command were deployed to restore calm and prevent further destruction.
Order was eventually restored through the joint efforts of the police, military, and the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem, who helped mediate the situation and ensure the safe evacuation of the NAIMOS team. Though the Chief’s vehicle was damaged in the process, no injuries were recorded.
In a statement signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs, DCOP Grace Ansah-Akrofi, the Ghana Police Service condemned the attack and warned against any interference with law enforcement operations.
“A special operation has been launched to identify and arrest all perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law,” the statement added.
