The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has confirmed that a member of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) taskforce has sustained a gunshot injury during an anti-galamsey operation in the Bono Region.
In a statement issued for immediate release on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, NAIMOS disclosed that the officer was shot in the thigh by armed assailants during a routine operation along the Subinkurum–Kyeremasu stretch in the Dormaa Central Municipality.
According to the statement, the taskforce came under attack when armed individuals, who had allegedly been hiding in nearby bushes, opened fire upon sighting the officers. This resulted in an exchange of gunfire, during which one NAIMOS personnel was injured.
The wounded officer was promptly transported to the St Matthew Catholic Hospital at Ampenkuro, where he is currently receiving treatment and is reported to be responding positively.
The incident also led to the death of one of the assailants. The deceased, identified as Abuu Ibrahim, was pronounced dead on arrival at the same hospital.
Despite the attack, NAIMOS reaffirmed its commitment to the fight against illegal mining, describing the menace as a threat to the country’s environment and natural resources.
The Secretariat urged stakeholders and the general public to continue supporting its operations, stressing that such incidents would not deter its mandate.
Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, remains a major national concern, with successive governments intensifying efforts to curb its devastating impact on water bodies, farmlands, and forest reserves across the country.
