The incident, which occurred on Saturday, November 1, 2025, involved a confrontation between the NAIMOS Director and his team and a group of illegal miners operating in the area.

Preliminary police reports indicate that several suspects were apprehended during the operation. The team also seized a Smith & Wesson pistol, ammunition, two pistol magazines, an unregistered Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and several mobile phones.

In a statement issued on Monday, November 3, the Lands Minister condemned the attack, describing it as “unacceptable and a direct affront to law enforcement efforts.”

“This aligns with the government’s firm commitment to bring to book all perpetrators who aid, support, or front the continuous decimation of the environment,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to take over the case and conduct a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Delivering a sectoral update on Wednesday, July 23, Mr. Buah said NAIMOS will serve as the central command hub to coordinate the operations of the military, police, and other security agencies involved in the nationwide clampdown on illegal small-scale mining.

“To coordinate the efforts of the military, police, and other security agencies, the Ministry has established the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) as the operational nerve centre for Ghana’s fight against illegal small-scale mining,” he stated.

The Secretariat is expected to integrate security, environmental, and legal interventions under a unified framework to improve the efficiency and sustainability of operations aimed at protecting the country’s water bodies, forest reserves, and other natural resources.

Mr. Buah also revealed that NAIMOS is working with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance (GRA–Customs Division), and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to monitor the importation of excavators and other earth-moving equipment.

“In collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance (GRA–Customs Division), and the Ports and Harbours Authority, we have initiated proactive tracking of all imports of excavators and earth-moving equipment from the point of entry,” he added.

Source: AdomOnline

READ ALSO:

• Ashanti Region: Police launch probe into fatal shooting at Asawase
• Attorney-General to address uniBank case, asset recovery updates on Monday – Kwakye Ofosu