Illegal miners on the Offin River at Nipanekro in the Ashanti Region defied personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), refusing to leave their Changfan platforms despite warning shots fired by the soldiers.
In a video report by JoyNews on October 26, 2026, more than 100 miners are seen on the river as the NAIMOS personnel fire warning shots during a reconnaissance mission ahead of a planned crackdown on illegal mining widely known as galamsey.
The miners, who were operating more than 50 Changfan machines chained together on the river, moved to the opposite side of the river but remained at the site, with others daring the soldiers to cross over.
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Some were also heard demanding jobs, insisting that they would stop illegal mining if they were provided with alternative employment.
A resident of the area told JoyNews that the mining activities were allegedly backed by local chiefs and largely carried out by people from outside the community.
See the video below:
In a defiant encounter with NAIMOS, illegal miners polluting the Offin River at Nipanekro refused to leave their Changfan platforms on the river even in the midst of the firing of warning shots. #JoyNews https://t.co/NPG0UgjuhV
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