Barely twenty four hours after The Chronicle reported that illegal miners had gone on rampage at Amponyaase in the Adansi Tradional Area, another group of illegal miners, this time from Obuasi, in the same traditional area, have also gone on rampage over the arrest of some of their colleagues.
They reportedly invaded the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and the police headquarters to demand that their colleagues who have been arrested for illegally entering the concession of AngloGold Ashanti to mine be freed.
The sudden attack by the illegal miners, numbering over five hundred, forced the deployment of the armed military personnel to the mining town yesterday.
Apart from the threat on the police and other civilians, the miners also blocked roads around the Standard Charted Bank area, burnt lorry tyres and prevented drivers and pedestrians from accessing the road.
At about 4:00pm, The Chronicle gathered that a military reinforcement team arrived to contain the situation.
The Chronicle was also told that the illegal miners, after illegally entering the underground concession of AngloGold-Ashanti were trapped and could not find their way out.
The mining conglomerate, with the support of the Municipal Assembly and security personnel, advised the trapped miners to use the official gate of the mine to avoid suffocating underground.
Unfortunately for them, 48 out of the large number who came out were arrested immediately and sent to the police station, which sparked the riot.
The Public Relations Officer of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Captain Ama Boafo, told The Chronicle when contacted that indeed personnel from 4BN had been deployed to the town.
Meanwhile, the AGA has issued a statement explaining that unauthorised persons underground are able to exit on foot, via the existing ramp, through the main access of AGA’s mining area.
According to the statement, no person underground has been confined in any way and that the main exit ramp from the mine remains open.
It noted that Obuasi Gold Mines management team has notified the relevant authorities and that public security services are working closely with them.
It disclosed on Monday that seven illegal miners exited through this main access point on foot and are in the custody of the Ghana Police Service.
Any unauthorised person underground is encouraged to leave the mine at any time by the exit points, where public security personnel remain on standby.
AGA emphasised that intrusion of illegal miners into underground areas remains a significantly dangerous activity and AngloGold Ashanti Ghana is working alongside authorities to ensure that only authorised mine personnel and contractors can access underground work areas.
