Bureau of Public Safety demands Asutifi North MP arrest over attack on NAIMOS

The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has called for the immediate arrest and investigation of Asutifi North MP, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, over a violent assault on members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) at Bronikrom in the Ahafo Region.

In a statement issued on Monday, November 3, 2025, the Bureau described the attack as a “clear obstruction of law enforcement officers in the discharge of their lawful duties,” condemning it as a threat to national security.

According to the BPS, the MP allegedly led a group that assaulted the NAIMOS Director of Operations and his team during an anti-galamsey operation.

The incident reportedly resulted in property damage and placed the lives of public officials and soldiers at risk.

The Bureau has urged the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces to launch a full-scale investigation into the role of the MP and his alleged accomplices, including how the case was handled at the Hwidiem Police Station.

It also called for protective measures for NAIMOS officers, soldiers, and witnesses, stressing the need for operational security reforms for anti-illegal mining task forces nationwide.

Additionally, the Bureau wants Parliament to initiate a probe to determine possible disciplinary or criminal action against the legislator.

“No individual, regardless of political office or influence, is above the law,” the Bureau said. “Attacks on law enforcement personnel undermine national security, embolden criminal networks, and threaten the fight against illegal minin, a menace destroying Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and livelihoods.”

The statement followed reports that police in Hwidiem rescued a NAIMOS team and soldiers from a mob attack after they arrested two suspected illegal miners and seized vehicles and weapons near the Hwidiem–Goaso Highway.

A Burkinabe national and several others were taken into custody, while the mining site, showing signs of severe land degradation, was sealed off.

Calm has since returned to the area.