The death toll following a confrontation between residents of Manso Keniago in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region and operatives of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has increased to six, while 15 others have sustained injuries.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over the transportation of excavators seized by the anti-illegal mining task force. Some residents and traditional leaders reportedly objected to plans to move the equipment through the community using a tarred road, insisting that low-bed trailers should instead be used.
The Chief of Domi-Keniago, Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio II, has called for justice for the deceased and urged authorities to ensure accountability over the incident. However, the circumstances leading to the shooting remain contested, with NAIMOS and residents presenting different accounts of what transpired.
In its account, NAIMOS said its personnel encountered an armed group attempting to prevent the movement of the excavators, forcing them to fire warning shots. The Secretariat added that two of its officers sustained gunshot wounds during the confrontation. Residents and traditional authorities have disputed this version of events, arguing that the excavator was not seized from Manso Keniago but was merely being transported through the community.
The conflicting accounts have yet to be independently verified, as questions remain about the events that led to the deadly confrontation.
