Following the Bronikrom attack on anti-illegal mining operatives, NAIMOS spokesperson Elikem Kotoko has warned that mob actions against state officers risk triggering deadly consequences similar to the tragic killing of Major Maxwell Mahama.
He said the conduct of the crowd was reckless and could have led to bloodshed.
He questioned what would have happened if security officers had responded forcefully.
“What if the military or the NAIMOS task force thought of what happened to Major Mahama in 2016 and decided to say, this level of aggression now requires maximum protection, because they were armed?” he asked on JoyNews’ PM Express.
He said any attempt to charge at armed personnel is dangerous and unacceptable, stressing that those officers are empowered to defend themselves.
“Security operatives and analysts say the military is trained to kill,” he stated. “So for civilians to confront them in such numbers, it is dangerous, it is unnecessary, and it must stop.”
Kotoko argued that the Bronikrom attack is a reminder that communities must not attempt to interfere with anti-galamsey operations or confront task forces in the field. He described the individuals involved as risking their lives and endangering national peace.
He also highlighted the role of local leadership in preventing such escalations, urging chiefs, community leaders and opinion leaders to take responsibility and discourage aggressive crowd behaviour.
He said national security operations must be respected, and citizens should not endanger personnel who are carrying out lawful duties on behalf of the state.
Two Members of Parliament, Asutifi North’s Ebenezer Kwaku Addo and Asutifi South’s Collins Dauda, have been linked to the confrontation.
Kotoko said such developments reinforce the need for calm, lawfulness and strict adherence to procedure whenever state security teams enter communities to enforce anti-mining regulations.
