Minister of Defense, Dominic Nitiwul has said they would be investigating the killing of a suspected illegal miner at Obuasi Wawaase in the Ashanti Region.
The clamp down of illegal mining popularly known as galamsey by a combined police and military taskforce turned deadly last Sunday after the soldiers allegedly shot one suspected illegal miner after encountering stone-throwing suspects.
The deceased was said to have been killed during a fire exchange with the security personnel. People in the committee are accusing the security personnel of killing at innocent person but they insist they acted on self-defense.
On Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Dominic Nitiwul is convinced the supposed illegal miner might have been killed by his own people.
“We know the guns used by the soldiers so our investigations will determine whether it was our gun or that of the natives” he stated.
He noted that, the national anti-galamsey taskforce, Operation Vanguard has not set out to kill civilians.
“Our aim is to stop illegal mining destroying our water bodies not to kill people”. “Why should we allow our lands to be degraded by foreigners when in their country they would not do it at their backyard” he quested.
Rather, Mr. Nitiwul indicated that, they are there to safeguard our water bodies and other natural resources from being destroyed in the quest of some few people to make money.
“Ghanaians soldiers are professionals, but when you dare them, you may not live to see the next day” the Defense Minister stressed.
Anti galamsey taskforce not killers but don’t dare them – Nitiwul
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