Police De-escalate Tension In Assin North After Youth Block Road To Prevent Illegal Mining.
A swift intervention by the police restored calm in the Assin North District on Monday after angry residents of four communities blocked a major road to prevent suspected illegal miners from accessing mining sites.
A joint team from the Central North Regional Police Command and the Assin North District Police Command, led by Superintendent Eric Yao Avudzivi, moved quickly to the scene to de-escalate rising tension.
The officers cleared the roadblocks and engaged the aggrieved youth in dialogue, urging them not to take the law into their own hands.
They reminded the demonstrators that the road serves traders, farmers and other commuters, and not only individuals suspected of engaging in illegal mining.
Earlier, residents of Larteh, Nyameyedru, Praho and Tretre-Nkwanta had mounted the blockade on the main road leading to Assin Larteh, using sticks, clubs and wooden benches to obstruct traffic.
The demonstrators vowed to resist what they described as the continued destruction of their environment.
According to the residents, illegal mining activities have heavily polluted their water bodies, destroyed farmlands and undermined their livelihoods.
Speaking exclusively to Rich FM News, Shadrack Owusu Asante reported that the residents said they were compelled to act after several appeals to the authorities allegedly yielded no response.
“We have no option but to take our destiny into our own hands and protect our lands, water bodies and properties for the sake of our children,” a committee member told Rich FM.
Tension escalated when a chief from Assin Kyeano reportedly arrived at the scene in a private vehicle to plead with the residents to allow the miners access to the river. His intervention was met with strong resistance.
The residents further alleged that the Queen Mother of Assin Kyeano, Nana Kyeiwaa, the Youth Chief and other traditional leaders were complicit in the proliferation of illegal mining activities in the area.
The police later visited sections of the Pra River, where they encountered some miners actively operating in the middle of the river. Warning shots were fired to disperse them and halt the activities.
Addressing the situation, the Central North Regional Commander, DCOP Abraham Acquaye, cautioned that embarking on demonstrations or blocking public roads is unlawful.
He disclosed that statements had been taken from leaders of the aggrieved group to assist with ongoing investigations.
Calm has since been restored in the area.
Story by Asante Shadrack.
