Two people have reportedly been killed and another left in critical condition following a confrontation between personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and residents of Dome Keniago in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.
The incident happened on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during an anti-illegal mining operation by a NAIMOS task force.
Accounts of the confrontation differ, with the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths and injuries yet to be established.
The Chief of Dome Keniago, Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio, alleged that the violence started after he challenged a NAIMOS operative who was driving an excavator on a tarred road.
He said he asked the operator to stop and questioned why the excavator was being driven on the road, an intervention he claimed triggered the confrontation.
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Nana Ababio said residents were now living in fear and mourning. He further alleged that NAIMOS personnel were pursuing him, forcing him into hiding.
The Assembly Member for Manso Keniago, Charles Oduro, also accused the task force of injuring several residents during the operation.
NAIMOS, however, said two of its personnel sustained gunshot wounds during a confrontation with an armed mob while the task force was transporting excavators seized during the operation to a designated location for safekeeping.
In a statement, the Secretariat said its personnel encountered the group, which allegedly attempted to obstruct the movement of the seized equipment.
It said officers fired warning shots “in an attempt to deter the mob and prevent a further escalation of the confrontation”.
NAIMOS condemned the attack and warned against attempts to obstruct its personnel in the performance of their duties.
“Attacks, threats, and other forms of violent resistance against our operations are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the Secretariat said.
It maintained that it would continue lawful enforcement operations across the country despite intimidation and resistance, reaffirming its commitment to combating illegal mining.
Residents have called on the government, the Inspector-General of Police and NAIMOS leadership to investigate the incident and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
