The Zongo Chief of Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region, Mohammed Bashiru, has described the chaotic scenes that unfolded over the weekend when his vehicle was vandalised during a violent confrontation between angry youth and a National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) team at the Hwidiem Police Station.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Alhaji Bashiru called the situation “chaotic and dangerous,” noting that swift intervention by community leaders and the police prevented potential bloodshed. He said he was on his farm when the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Addo, alerted him about the tense situation involving the NAIMOS team led by Colonel Dominic Buah.
“When I arrived on a motorbike, the situation was indeed bad,” he recounted. “We wanted to remove the soldiers from the police station because the youth had surrounded the place and were becoming uncontrollable.” Alhaji Bashiru explained that many of the young people were unaware of the cause of the unrest and had joined the crowd out of curiosity, while the more mature youth helped the police restore calm.
Following the MP’s advice to evacuate the soldiers for their safety, Alhaji Bashiru brought his Toyota Sequoia 4×4 to transport them, believing the vehicle would be respected. However, moments after its arrival, part of the mob mistakenly attacked and smashed the rear windscreen, assuming it was a military vehicle.
“Those who vandalised my car were not part of the group that understood the issue. One young man even confessed he joined the crowd just because he heard people shouting,” the chief revealed. Despite the damage, his priority remained ensuring the safety of the soldiers and preventing further escalation.
He praised the military officers for their restraint and professionalism, noting they could have retaliated but chose to remain calm. “The soldiers are government officials working on behalf of the state. Once they wear the uniform, we must accord them respect,” he said.
The NAIMOS team, which had earlier arrested two suspected illegal miners and seized vehicles and weapons at a nearby site, was eventually rescued under police escort and transported safely to the Newmont Kenyasi facility. Police have confirmed that calm has been restored in Hwidiem, though investigations into the vandalism and attempted mob assault continue.
