One shot dead, 4 others injured as Newmont security, Kenyase youth clash

One person was reportedly shot dead while four others sustained varying degrees of injury when personnel of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) of the Ghana Police attached to Newmont Ghana’s Ahafo South mine clashed with some irate youth at Kenyase last Tuesday morning over a misunderstanding.

The FPU personnel are said to have chased the five persons, who were said to be riding on a tricycle popularly called “Aboboya” from a point on the main Ntotroso–Kenyase road to the outskirts of Kenyase Number Two, where they opened fire on the five, who were not armed, killing one instantly and injuring the remaining four.

The action by the police angered the entire youth of Kenyase who went on a rampage and besieged the Mensah Kumta Village, the official residential place for expatriates and some other management staff of Newmont. They reportedly ransacked and looted as many buildings they could forcefully open.

A resident of Kenyase, Adusa Yakubu, in an interview with this portal complained bitterly about the continuous harassment meted out to the people of Kenyase and other communities around Newmont Ahafo Mine by the FPU personnel since their arrival in the area months ago.

According to him, personnel from the unit barely take any instructions from the Police Command at Kenyase and sometimes subject residents to all kinds of inhumane practices.

He wondered why Newmont would deploy such security men in the area to terrorize people without any justifiable reasons.

Police tight-lipped

The Police appear tight-lipped on the matter for now. When contacted, the Kenyase District Police Commander referred our reporter to the Ahafo Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Kwadwo Boakye, who, at the time of filing this report, said the national headquarters of the Ghana Police Service would soon issue a statement on the matter and for that matter wound not make any comment.

Meanwhile, Newmont says it “is saddened by the turn of events and sympathizes with the family and friends of the deceased and those injured."

In a press release signed by David Ebo Johnson, Director of Communications and External Relations, Newmont said relevant regulatory authorities have been notified of the incident while the company is currently cooperating with the Police with their investigations.

“The company is also working closely with security personnel who have been deployed to the scene to keep the situation under control”, the release further said; adding that the circumstances surrounding the shooting is unclear, as there are conflicting accounts.