A security operation targeting illegal mining machinery descended into deadly violence on Wednesday afternoon, leaving two people dead and operational vehicles destroyed.
The unrest erupted when a taskforce from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) arrived in Manso Keniago to track and transport heavy excavators previously impounded in anti-galamsey sweeps. Word of the taskforce’s arrival spread quickly through the township, drawing crowds of angry residents and illegal miners determined to stop the retrieval.
“The crowd ambushed the convoy by throwing up barricades across the road and pelting our patrol trucks with heavy rocks,” an eyewitness on the scene recounted. “The windscreens of the operational vehicles were completely smashed as the crowd swarmed the taskforce to protect the machinery.”
The confrontation escalated rapidly as security personnel fought to contain the aggressive crowd, resulting in gunfire being exchanged during the chaos.
“It was pure panic with people scattering everywhere to take cover,” a local community member said. “When the shouting stopped and the road cleared, two men were lying dead on the ground. Everyone in the village is in shock right now.”
While police have confirmed the two fatalities, official sources have not yet released the identities of the victims or specified who fired the fatal shots.
“We are currently working to verify the exact chain of events that led to these deaths,” a police representative stated. “Our immediate priority is securing the area, preventing retaliatory attacks, and gathering forensic evidence.”
Reinforcements have been dispatched to Manso Keniago to restore calm as state authorities begin a comprehensive probe into the deadly encounter.
