Group stunned as court protects miner with no valid licence in Gbane

The Alliance for Gbane Development, a group of natives of Gbane in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, has expressed concern over a High Court order directing the Upper East Regional Police Command to provide protection and assistance to a small-scale mining enterprise seeking to operate in the area despite the expiry of its mining licence.

The group said it respects the authority of the court but is troubled by what it describes as developments following the execution of the order, particularly the alleged presence of armed individuals who are not police officers providing security at the mining site.

The Bolgatanga High Court, presided over by Justice Ernest Pascal Gemadzie, ordered the Upper East Regional Police Command to provide protection and assistance to Zongdaan Boyak Kolog, popularly known as Poloo, who operates under the name and style of Nanlamtaaba Enterprise, to undertake mining operations in Gbane.

The order has become a subject of concern among some residents and stakeholders because, according to the Alliance, Nanlamtaaba Enterprise's mining licence over the concession expired on May 14, 2025.

The group further contends that the enterprise does not currently hold a valid mining licence or operating permits from the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority.

However, in a ruling on an application seeking to set aside the order, the court reportedly acknowledged that although Nanlamtaaba's mining licence had expired, the enterprise continued to hold a mineral right over the concession until that right is terminated by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in accordance with Section 87 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

The Alliance said it was surprised by the situation despite what it described as documentary evidence indicating that the company's licence had expired.

“We must express our shock over the issuance of that order by the court despite all documentary evidence that Nanlamtaaba does not currently hold a valid mining licence under the Minerals and Mining Act 703,” the group said.

It added that records from the Minerals Commission indicate that Nanlamtaaba's licence covering a 25-acre concession at Gbane expired on May 14, 2025.

According to the Alliance, several other small-scale mining licences within the same area also expired as recently as November 2025.

The group, however, noted that the holders of those licences had not disrupted activities in the Gbane community because they had agreed not to undertake mining operations following the government's policy of reserving Gbane for large-scale mining.

The Alliance's major concern, it said, relates to what it claims has happened since the court's order was executed.

Although the order directed the police to provide protection to Nanlamtaaba Enterprise, the group alleged that armed men who are neither police officers nor personnel of a registered private security company have instead taken over security duties at the site.

“The police have disappeared, leaving armed men who are neither police officers nor registered security company operatives to provide the protection,” the group alleged.

The Alliance also alleged that individuals carrying pump-action firearms entered the underground workings of Earl International, another mining company operating in the area, resulting in what it described as chaos at the site.

According to the group, one of Nanlamtaaba's own armed guards accidentally shot himself in the foot during the incident.

The injured man, the Alliance alleged, was unable to get out of the mine on his own and had to be physically carried out by security personnel of Earl International.

“He could not get himself out. He had to be physically carried out of the mine by Earl International security personnel, the very people Nanlamtaaba claims to oppose. We have photographs. We have video. This is not a story. This is documented fact,” the group said.

The Alliance for Gbane Development said the developments raise serious questions about the interpretation and enforcement of mining rights in the community, as well as the nature of security arrangements being used to enforce the court order.

The group called for clarity on the authority under which armed individuals are operating at the mining site and urged the relevant state institutions to ensure that any mining activity in Gbane complies with Ghana's mining, environmental and security laws.

It also stressed that its concerns should not be interpreted as a challenge to the authority of the judiciary, insisting that its position is driven by the need to protect the interests, safety and development of the Gbane community.