Tension has gripped Manso Nyankomase in the Amansie South district of the Ashanti region following a violent clash between military personnel and residents that left five people with gunshot wounds.
The mayhem came up during a mining site reclamation exercise on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
According to reports, the incident occurred when a team of armed soldiers reportedly stormed the town to clear miners and residents from a mining site designated for reclamation as part of the government’s ongoing campaign against illegal mining.
But, the youth group, who claimed they were not informed about the exercise, accused the military personnel of using excessive force and brutality.
What was expected to be a peaceful exercise then turned chaotic when some residents resisted attempts by the military to drive them away from the site.
Speaking on Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9FM in Kumasi with Sir John, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the Assemblyman for Kompese Electoral Area, Stephen Nsiah Kesse, said the soldiers arrived early in the morning and ordered all persons working or living near the mining site to vacate immediately.
However, some of the residents pleaded for time to gather their belongings and tools before leaving. Tensions escalated when the soldiers allegedly began chasing people from the site, firing gunshots to disperse the crowd.
“In the process, five people were hit by bullets,” he recounted. “They were not armed or fighting. Some were only trying to run away, but the soldiers kept firing. The whole place was filled with panic and shouting.”
He said calm has returned to the community with residents going about their normal duties.
He said the contractor used force to clear the people from the site since the assembly and the contractor earlier agreed to engage the community members before starting the exercise.
The victims, whose names were not immediately released, were rushed to nearby health facilities for medical attention. Their conditions were described as critical but stable.
Following the shooting, angry youth from Manso Nyankomase took to the streets to protest against what they described as military brutality. They blocked the main Manso–Datano road, burned tyres, and chanted war songs, demanding justice for the victims and immediate government intervention.
The protest caused major disruptions to traffic flow and economic activities, leaving travelers stranded for several hours.
Some residents who also spoke to our news team expressed serious concern over the identity of those behind the reclamation exercise, claiming that no official explanation or notice was given prior to the operation.
According to them, they do not know whether the activity was sanctioned by government authorities or being led by political figures from the Manso Adubia constituency.
“This is the only place we work to earn a living,” a resident lamented. “We don’t even know the people behind this reclamation exercise. Is it the Manso Adubia Constituency NDC executives or someone else? Nobody has come to explain anything to us. All we know is that soldiers came here and started driving people away and shooting.”
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