Miracles Aboagye insists State must account for 6 deaths at Manso Keniago over galamsey
The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Miracles Aboagye, has called for a thorough investigation into the killing of six people during a confrontation involving personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and residents of Manso Keniago in the Ashanti Region.
He has cautioned against collectively labelling the deceased as illegal miners or members of a mob, insisting that the circumstances surrounding each death must be independently established to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, November 14, during a discussion on the incident, Mr Aboagye said available accounts suggested that some of the victims might not have participated in the confrontation.
He expressed condolences to the bereaved families, citing reports of a woman who was allegedly shot in her bathroom and others who were shot on the street.
“I express my condolences to the lost ones. The sad and painful reality is that some of the six fallen citizens may not even be part of anything,” he said.
“I have seen a woman who was shot in her bathroom. The cameras were there. They showed where she was in the bathroom and the blood stains. But I've seen two people shot on the street,” he added.
Mr Aboagye said he had listened to accounts from both the community's chief and NAIMOS officials but maintained that the conflicting narratives made an independent investigation necessary.
“Whatever the case is, we have lost six citizens that, as we speak now, we are yet to understand clearly why each of them died,” he said.
He argued that each victim deserved an individual assessment rather than being grouped and presumed to have been involved in the confrontation.
“Remember, you can't bunch human souls together and label all of them with one issue and use that as a basis for their death. Every family deserves justice. We need to understand why each of the six people has died,” he stated.
State must take responsibility for citizens' safety
While urging civilians to avoid confronting armed security personnel, Mr Aboagye said the State had the primary responsibility to protect lives, particularly during enforcement operations.
He argued that residents should exercise restraint when confronted by armed officers, as there was little to gain from engaging security personnel in a potentially dangerous confrontation.
“My view is that there is no glory in confronting armed men, especially those who are backed by the law,” he said.
However, he stressed that this did not absolve security personnel or the State of their responsibility to protect innocent people during operations.
“The number one responsibility of the State is the security, safety and protection of its citizens. That comes before every other thing,” he said.
“When it comes to our safety and security, it's solely in the hands of the State. And so the State must take responsibility,” he added.
Mr Aboagye further argued that the presence of a crowd at the scene did not necessarily mean everyone within it was participating in an attack on security personnel.
He said officers must exercise restraint and distinguish between those actively confronting them and innocent residents who might have gathered out of curiosity.
“You must be mindful. And even if there's one single soul, just one person in that mob that is innocent, you have a duty and responsibility to be moderate to protect that person,” he said.
He maintained that the possibility of innocent people being caught up in the confrontation made it unacceptable to justify all six deaths simply on the grounds that a mob had confronted the task force.
“There is no justification in getting a single innocent person to die in a mob in an attempt or with the justification that it's a mob and your life is under threat. You are trained, they are not,” he stated.
Questions NAIMOS use of drone surveillance
The NPP Communications Director said he would accept the outcome of an investigation establishing that all six deceased persons were illegal miners who actively obstructed the NAIMOS operation.
However, he insisted that such a conclusion must be supported by credible evidence rather than assumptions about the victims' involvement.
“If all six people are identified to be galamseyers who are standing in the way of NAIMOS, we can do this. But we don't know that yet,” he said.
He also questioned why drone footage was not being used to establish the sequence of events and identify the individuals who participated in the confrontation.
“If you have a drone and you encounter such a mob, you don't leave the drone. You let the drone fly,” he said.
Mr Aboagye also alleged that influential individuals benefiting from illegal mining continued to enjoy political protection, declaring that “the kingpins of galamsey are backing government”.
How the Manso Keniago confrontation unfolded
The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 11, at Manso Keniago in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, when NAIMOS personnel were transporting excavators seized during an anti-illegal mining operation to a designated location for safekeeping.
Read also: Manso Keniago clash death toll rises to six, 15 injured
The confrontation reportedly followed disagreements between the task force, some residents and traditional authorities over the transportation of the seized equipment through the community on a tarred road. Residents reportedly preferred that low-bed trailers be used.
NAIMOS maintained that its personnel encountered an armed group attempting to obstruct the operation and said officers fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. The Secretariat subsequently described the shooting as an act of self-defence.
The death toll, initially reported as three, later rose to six, while 15 others were reported injured. Two NAIMOS personnel also sustained gunshot wounds but were subsequently treated and discharged from hospital.
Mr Aboagye's comments add to growing calls for an investigation into the circumstances of the deaths, with questions remaining about the conduct of the operation, the use of firearms and the individual roles, if any, played by those who lost their lives.
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