A violent confrontation at a galamsey site in Aboboye, within the Twifo Atimorkwa District of the Central Region, has left three men in critical condition, triggering a heated dispute between the District NADMO Director and the District Chief Executive (DCE).
Information gathered indicates that six men, reportedly from Tarkwa, stormed the mining site on Saturday claiming they had been dispatched by the Twifo Praso District NADMO Director, Mr. James Prah, to collect payments from illegal miners operating in the area.
The men allegedly demanded GH₵20,000, but tensions rose when the miners insisted they could only afford GH₵2,000 due to low earnings. The disagreement quickly escalated into a bloody brawl that resulted in three of the alleged extortionists sustaining severe injuries. They were rushed to a nearby health facility, while the remaining three managed to flee the scene.
Reacting to the incident, the DCE, Hon. Isaac Yawson, accused the NADMO Director of secretly engaging in illegal mining-related activities across parts of the district including Twifo Mampong without approval from the District Security Council (DISEC), which he heads.
He further alleged that Mr. Prah had previously misled the Regional NADMO Directorate by exaggerating the extent of illegal mining along the River Pra, prompting a visit by the regional team and Presidential Staffer, Chief Mike Derry, last Thursday. According to the DCE, the team found that the situation had been overstated and left shortly after.
Hon. Yawson said Saturday’s incident was a continuation of the NADMO Director’s alleged misconduct, claiming the six-man team from Tarkwa was acting under his instruction to extort money from miners at Aboboye. The three suspects arrested after the clash were later handed over to the police by the miners.
During preliminary interrogation, the detainees reportedly mentioned Mr. Prah as the one who sent them. The DCE described the allegations against the NADMO Director as “grossly irresponsible” and revealed that he would be summoned before DISEC for questioning.
Meanwhile, Mr. James Prah has firmly refuted all claims linking him to the extortion attempt. While confirming that he had engaged the Regional NADMO team and Chief Mike Derry on concerns about illegal mining on the River Pra, he maintained that he never authorized anyone to approach miners or demand money on his behalf.
The Twifo Praso District Police Command has since arraigned the three arrested individuals before court on charges of extortion and unlawful operations, as investigations into the incident continue.
