Three persons are severely injured and battling for their lives following a violent clash between a group of men and some illegal miners at Aboboye, a galamsey-prone community in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region.
Reports gathered indicate, six men from Tarkwa in the Western Region reportedly stormed the mining site on Saturday, November 15, claiming they had been instructed by the Twifo Praso District NADMO Director, James Prah, to extort money from illegal miners operating in the area.
The group reportedly demanded GH₵20,000 from the miners, but the miners offered GH₵2,000, citing poor business that day, resulting in a disagreement.
Matters quickly escalated into a brutal confrontation when the group began setting pumping machines and other mining equipment on the site ablaze, leaving three of the six men severely injured. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment and subsequently arrested by police and are currently in custody.
Three other persons, however, managed to escape.
Twifo Atimorkwa DCE, Isaac Yawson, reacting to the incident, accused the NADMO Director and his associates of engaging in unauthorized and illegal mining operations across parts of the district, including Twifo Mampong, without the knowledge or approval of the District Security Council (DISEC), which he chairs.
He claimed that James Prah had previously misled the Regional NADMO Directorate by exaggerating the scale of illegal mining on the River Pra, prompting the regional team, accompanied by a Presidential Staffer, Chief Mike Derry, to visit the area on Thursday, November 13, 2025.
However, upon arrival, they reportedly realised the situation had been misrepresented and promptly abandoned the operations.
The DCE added that on Saturday, the six-man team from Tarkwa, allegedly linked to the District NADMO Director, went to Aboboye to extort money from the illegal miners, leading to the violent clash. The three who were apprehended were handed over to the police by the miners, while their alleged accomplices fled.
During police interrogation, the suspects reportedly claimed they were acting on the instructions of the District NADMO Director, James Prah. The DCE described the conduct of the District NADMO officer as “highly irresponsible” and said he would be summoned before DISEC to answer for his actions.
The District NADMO Director, when contacted by Citi News, said he has been advised by some party officials not to make any further comment on the issue.
