Residents of Darkokrom near Anyinam in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region are demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of an alleged illegal miner and his armed associates following a deadly attack that claimed one life and left another resident critically injured.
The residents accuse an illegal miner identified only as Kwaku Hero of orchestrating the attack after the community resisted his attempts to remove mining equipment from a site where he allegedly carried out illegal mining activities.
Speaking at a press briefing, community spokesperson Peter Doku expressed disappointment over what he described as the slow pace of police investigations, alleging that no arrests have been made despite the incident being reported to the Anyinam Police.
According to him, the miner had been operating on farmlands and in water bodies in the community despite repeated objections from residents. He said the miner later abandoned the site, leaving behind uncovered pits without reclaiming the degraded land.
Mr. Doku explained that residents prevented the miner from removing his excavator and other mining equipment until the damaged land was restored.
He alleged that the miner subsequently returned to the community with heavily built men on motorbikes, who attacked residents and fired indiscriminately.
During the violence, 36-year-old Jaba Edward, popularly known as Atteh, was allegedly beaten to death, while 76-year-old Samuel Nartey sustained gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment at a health facility.
The residents are calling on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and ensure the swift arrest of all those responsible for the attack.
They say justice for the victims is crucial and warned that delays in bringing the perpetrators to book could undermine public confidence in law enforcement and embolden illegal miners to continue operating with impunity.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
