Asutifi North MP denies inciting youth and leading attack on NAIMOS team in Hwidiem

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, has strongly denied allegations that he led or incited a mob to attack officers of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and obstruct their work at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.

In a statement addressing the incident, Mr Addo described the claims as false and malicious, insisting he neither instigated violence nor interfered with the operations of the NAIMOS team. He clarified that his presence at the scene was solely to help calm tensions after learning about a military operation at a gold extraction site.

He explained:

On 1 November 2025, while on my way to attend a funeral at Acherensua, I noticed tension in Hwidiem and was informed there was a military operation ongoing. I immediately called Collins Dauda, the MP for Asutifi South, who asked that I visit the site to understand the situation.

ALSO READ: Police CID invites Asutifi North MP over alleged attack on NAIMOS director and team

According to the MP, upon reaching the location with his constituency vice chairman and driver, he introduced himself to the team leader and facilitated a phone conversation between the team and Dauda. “The only advice I could give was for us to move to the police station to officially make a statement and hand over the items and suspects to calm tensions,” he added.

Mr Addo said he later joined senior police officers and military personnel at the Hwidiem Police Station to help manage the situation as crowds gathered outside. He also called on the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem, Alhaji Mohammed Bashiru Zarikyi, to assist in restoring calm.

ALSO READ: U/E: 2 Ghana immigration officers ambushed and shot at Nagani

The MP stressed that he never led any mob or directed anyone to attack the officers. He said:

I wish to state that under no circumstance will I incite the youth against security officers or any government agenda. As a responsible lawmaker, I offered my support to ensure there was calmness in the area and will always work with every security agency to maintain law and order.

Mr Addo expressed disappointment that the police situation report did not acknowledge his role in helping to de-escalate the crisis. He urged the public to disregard what he described as false narratives aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

ALSO READ: 2 NDC MPs fingered in alleged attack on NAIMOS director and taskforce in Hwidiem

Meanwhile, Hon. Addo has been invited by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters to assist with investigations into the alleged attack. This follows a directive from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, instructing the CID to take over the case after the NAIMOS team, led by Colonel Buah, reportedly came under attack by a mob allegedly linked to the MP.