Four dead, 15 injured in clash between Manso Keniago residents and NAIMOS personnel

Four people have been killed and 15 others injured following a violent confrontation between residents of Manso Keniago in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region and personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

The Assembly Member for the area, Charles Oduro, disclosed the updated casualty figures, explaining that the confrontation stemmed from a disagreement over the transportation of excavators seized during an anti-illegal mining operation.

The latest figures follow an earlier report that 2 NAIMOS officers sustained gunshot wounds during an encounter with an armed group while the task force was moving the confiscated equipment to a designated location for safekeeping.

Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Mr Oduro said some residents and traditional authorities had objected to the manner in which the excavators were being transported through the community.

According to him, the residents wanted the machines conveyed on low-bed trailers instead of being driven along the road, but the disagreement eventually escalated into gunfire.

He said the incident claimed 4 lives and left 15 others injured, with the victims coming from Manso Keniago and neighbouring communities, including Ketanpo.

“Some are from there, and others from Keniago, and others from different communities,” he said.

Mr Oduro made the disclosure while visiting some of the injured persons receiving treatment at St Martin's Hospital, describing the situation as disturbing.

He further claimed that a police officer was hit during efforts to restore calm and ensure the excavators were transported through the appropriate route.

“Even the police came to intervene, to let the NAIMOS people calm down, so that they take the right turn to convey the excavator. But even one police officer was hit by one of the NAIMOS,” he said.

He added that a police inspector was present at the scene and had attempted to de-escalate the confrontation.

Asked whether any NAIMOS personnel had also suffered injuries, the Assembly Member said he had not personally encountered any such cases.

NAIMOS had earlier reported that 2 of its officers sustained gunshot wounds during the incident. The Secretariat said its task force came under threat from an armed group attempting to prevent the movement of the seized excavators, prompting officers to fire warning shots to avert further escalation.

However, the Assembly Member's account puts the reported civilian death toll at 4, with 15 others injured. The casualty figures have yet to be independently verified.