The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra to take over investigations into the attack on the Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and his team by thugs at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
A statement issued by the Ghana Police Service in Accra yesterday said that the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Mr Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, who is alleged to have incited the mob and obstructed the NAIMOS team, has also been invited by the Police to assist in ongoing investigations into the incident.
According to the statement, preliminary investigation established that on Saturday, November 1, 2025, the NAIMOS Director and his team intercepted illegal miners operating near Bronikrom in the Ahafo Region and arrested some suspects.
“Exhibits retrieved from them include a side-hang bag containing one Smith & Wesson pistol, two pistol magazines, 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an unregistered Range Rover vehicle, an unregistered Toyota RAV4 vehicle and several mobile phones. While the team were preparing to hand over the suspects to the Hwidiem Police Station, the MP reportedly arrived with a group of men and demanded their release. When his demand was refused, the group forcibly removed the suspects’ handcuffs and chased the NAIMOS team from the scene,” it said.
The statement continued:
“A mob numbering about 600, allegedly incited by the MP, later besieged the Hwidiem Police Station demanding the release of the miners and seized vehicles. The crowd vandalised the Director’s vehicle, damaged parts of the police station, and threatened to set it ablaze. Reinforcement teams from the Ahafo Regional Command were deployed to restore order and prevent further destruction.”
The situation was eventually contained through the joint efforts of the police, the military, and the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem, who helped mediate the situation and facilitate the safe evacuation of the NAIMOS team.
“The Chief’s vehicle was damaged during the process, but no injuries were reported,” it indicated.
The Ghana Police Service strongly condemned the attack and cautioned the public against interfering with lawful enforcement operations. A special operation, according to the Service, was launched to track down all those involved in the disturbance to ensure they faced the full consequences of the law.
Meanwhile, Mr Ebenezer Kwaku Addo has denied inciting the youth against security officers or any government-planned agenda. He said, as a responsible lawmaker, he only offered his support to ensure there was calm in the area, stressing that:
“I will always work together with every security agency to maintain law and order.”
In a press statement issued in Accra yesterday, signed by the MP and copied to The Ghanaian Times, he stated:
“It is quite unfortunate that the police in their sitrep failed to acknowledge my contribution towards ensuring that calmness prevail.”
He, therefore, urged the public to disregard the false narratives aimed at tarnishing his reputation and undermining his efforts to serve his constituents.
“As your Member of Parliament, I want to assure you that I remain committed to the welfare and safety of the Ghanaian citizens and other State Institutions,” he stressed.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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