The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to take charge of a probe into a violent attack on the Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and his team at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
The incident occurred on Saturday, November 1, 2025, when the NAIMOS team reportedly arrested a group of illegal miners operating near Bronikrom. Items recovered at the site included firearms, ammunition, two unregistered vehicles, and several mobile phones.
While the suspects were being processed for transfer to the Hwidiem Police Station, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, allegedly confronted the officers and demanded the release of the miners.
According to police findings, the MP’s intervention led to a chaotic confrontation, during which his supporters forcibly released the suspects and assaulted members of the NAIMOS team.
The situation escalated when an estimated 600 people besieged the Hwidiem Police Station, vandalizing vehicles, damaging property, and threatening to set the facility ablaze.
Police reinforcements from the Ahafo Regional Command, with support from the military, were deployed to restore calm. The intervention of the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem was crucial in mediating tensions and ensuring the safe evacuation of the NAIMOS officers.
The Ghana Police Service has condemned the attack, warning against interference in law enforcement operations. The CID has since launched a full-scale investigation, with the Asutifi North MP invited to assist in the ongoing inquiry.
A special operation is also underway to track down those involved in the violence and bring them to justice.
Read below the statement
