The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is investigating an alleged assault by some military officers on members of the Ministry’s task force sent to arrest illegal miners at Enchi in the Western North Region.

On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, the Deputy Minister in Charge of Mining, George Mireku Duker, directed the task force to report to the Western-North Regional Minister and the Police Commander to assist the security personnel in the operations.
A statement issued by the Ministry said on their way back to Accra, the task force identified an illegal mining site along the road around Manso-Amenfi and arrested two persons seen on the field.

The statement said the Deputy Minister in Charge of Mining was duly informed and they were advised to convey two excavators from the site to the Amenfi Central District Assembly.

With the support of the DCE, the equipment was transported to the Assembly.

On their way back to Accra, the 13-member task force was allegedly accosted by ten armed military personnel around Wassa Akropong, who overpowered and brutalized them leading to the hospitalization of a female member of the team.

The lady who spoke to Luv News from her hospital bed in Accra said, the military men sought to identify the leader of the team, Mr. Twum Ampofo Agyekum and a journalist who works with the task force.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, in charge of mining, George Mireku Duker, investigations are said to be ongoing to find out what really ensued between the military and the Taskforce.