Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region was thrown into chaos on Saturday, November 1, 2025, when an angry mob attacked members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) at the Hwidiem Police Station after the arrest of two suspected illegal miners.
According to a police situational report, the incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. when Colonel Dominic Buah, Head of NAIMOS, led a team of nine military personnel to the station after apprehending two men, identified as Zakaria and Kwame Alex, at an illegal mining site near Bronikrom.
The team reportedly seized a Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and several items including a Smith & Wesson pistol with two magazines, 21 rounds of ammunition, 12 mobile phones, and various mining equipment. Wooden structures and machinery at the site were also destroyed before transporting the suspects and seized items to the police station.
Word of the arrests quickly spread, and within hours, a mob of approximately 600 residents besieged the Hwidiem Police Station, demanding the release of the vehicles and calling for the soldiers to be handed over for “discipline.”
During the chaos, the crowd vandalised a Toyota Hilux pickup (AD 7191-25) belonging to the NAIMOS team, smashing its windscreen.
As tensions escalated, the Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Prince Odom-Koduah, led a 15-member Regional Task Force to the scene, joined by local police commanders including Supt. John Atanga of Goaso and Supt. Opoku Yamoah of Kenyasi.
The situation was further complicated by a power outage, which heightened security risks. To restore calm, the police, military, and local leaders, including the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem, Alhaji Mohammed Bashiru, agreed to release the ignition keys of the seized vehicles.
The Zongo Chief also used his own Toyota Sequoia 4×4 to evacuate Col. Buah and his team safely to the Newmont Site in Kenyasi under police escort. His vehicle was reportedly vandalised during the operation.
No casualties were reported.
Following the evacuation, Col. Buah handed over several exhibits to the police, including the pistol, ammunition, mobile phones, and GH₵11,000 in cash for evidential purposes.
Police have confirmed that calm has since been restored in Hwidiem, though the area remains under close monitoring as investigations into the attack and the illegal mining operation continue.
Source: Adomonline
