The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has conducted a dawn operation at Osino in the Eastern Region, arresting 36 suspected illegal miners.
The group includes 32 Nigerien nationals and 4 Ghanaians, reportedly caught mining illegally along the Birim River in the Fanteakwa South District.
In a post on social media, Felix Kwaye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communications, stated, “NAIMOS Conducts Massive Dawn Strike in Eastern Region, arrests Several Foreign Galamseyers (32 Nigerien and 4 Ghanaians) in Swoop at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District – 8 November 2025”.
The NAIMOS team also impounded heavy-duty machinery and recovered substantial amounts of cash and other mining-related materials from the site.
In related news, Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has condemned the attack on officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
According to Alban Bagbin, Parliament will not protect any MP found guilty of misconduct.
Speaker Bagbin described the two Members of Parliament’s alleged involvement in the attack on NAIMOS as most worrying.
Speaking on the floor of parliament on Tuesday, Alban Bagbin stated, “The report of attacks on a team from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, a task force established to combat illegal mining activities in the country, is most worrying”.
“Also worrying is the fact that the attack was allegedly incited by one of our own, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, who further roped in a senior member of this House, Honourable Collins Dauda.”
He further added, “I want to take this opportunity to condemn in no uncertain terms the attack on the team of security officers who have been assigned to help deal with the menace of galamsey, which must be addressed robustly”.
“I have therefore instructed the Office of the Clerk and the Legal Services Office to provide all necessary support to the Ghana Police Service in its investigations, within the framework of the 1992 Constitution, the laws of this country, and the Standing Orders of the House.”
A police statement on the attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) near Bronikrom–Hwidiem read, “Preliminary investigation has established that on Saturday, 1st November 2025, the NAIMOS Director and his team intercepted illegal miners operating near Bronikrom in the Ahafo Region and arrested some suspects. Exhibits retrieved from them include a side-hang bag containing one (1) Smith & Wesson pistol, two (2) pistol magazines, twenty-one (21) rounds of 9mm ammunition, an unregistered Range Rover vehicle, an unregistered Toyota RAV4 vehicle and several mobile phones.
While the team were preparing to hand over the suspects to the Hwidiem Police Station, the MP reportedly arrived with a group of men and demanded their release.
When his demand was refused, the group forcibly removed the suspects’ handcuffs and chased the NAIMOS team from the scene.
A mob numbering about 600, allegedly incited by the MP, later besieged the Hwidien Police Station, demanding the release of the miners and seized vehicles. The crowd vandalised the Director’s vehicle, damaged parts of the police station, and threatened to set it ablaze. Reinforcement teams from the Ahafo Regional Command were deployed to restore order and prevent further destruction”.
Meanwhile, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, has been granted bail of GH¢150,000.
The lawmaker has also been barred by the court from leaving the Greater Accra Region without notifying investigators.
See the post below:
NAIMOS Conducts Massive Dawn Strike in Eastern Region, arrests Several Foreign Galamseyers (32 Nigerien and 4 Ghanaians) in Swoop at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District – 8 November 2025. pic.twitter.com/iKe0K2qjtU
— Felix Kwakye Ofosu (@FelixKwakyeOfo1) November 8, 2025