Atwima Mponua DCE attacked over military deployment against ‘galamsey’

Some residents of Ntobroso in the Atwima Mponua in the Ashanti Region have reportedly attacked the DCE for the area and some police officers over the deployment of military officers to the area to fight illegal mining.

According to a Citinews report sighted by GhanaWeb, the attackers who are believed to be illegal miners are infuriated by the military deployment which they say threatens their jobs and livelihood.

The residents are said to have caused damage to a police vehicle as they mounted roadblocks to deny the military team access to the mining sites.

Meanwhile the DCE for the area, Isaac Kofi Marfo, according the report, has denied being informed about the presence of the military in the area.

“With the nature of this job, the Military came in here, and they didn’t inform me as DCE. I do not know anything about the deployment. But look at the situation prevailing over here, it is very bad,” he lamented.

The military officers from the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces had been in the area clamping down on illegal mining activities.

The military team, as part of its operations, have visited some illegal mining sites and have in the process, burnt some excavators and mining equipment.