Tano North MP cautions security forces over galamsey arrests

Member of Parliament for Tano North, Gideon Boako, has urged the Ghana Armed Forces to protect the rights of civilians during the ongoing anti-illegal mining operations in the Ahafo Region.

His appeal comes after a large-scale joint police and military operation in Kenyasi and Hwediem on Wednesday, which resulted in several arrests and the reported death of a civilian.

The operation was aimed at arresting suspects accused of detaining members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) earlier in the week.

Dr. Boako, who is a member of the Minority in Parliament, expressed concern that some innocent civilians, including women and young people, may have been affected by the operation.

“Thousands of people whose houses were invaded unawares have been taken from Ahafo to the Ashanti Region without time to prepare. Among those arrested, there are certainly people engaged in illegal mining, but there are also innocent ones,” he said.

He stressed that while he supports the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, such security exercises must be carried out with “a human face” to prevent the violation of citizens’ rights.

“We must ensure proper investigations before such operations, so that the right people are targeted. If anybody is innocently attacked or arrested, their rights are violated one way or the other,” he cautioned.

Dr Boako added that many of those affected are breadwinners who may have been drawn into small-scale mining for survival, and urged the military to release anyone found to be innocent after investigations.

“We believe in the Ghana Military Service and trust that once investigations are done, the innocent will be freed. But we appeal that future actions should target only those truly culpable,” he noted.