‘I was planning to leave’ – Mason, others arrested in Osino galamsey raid speak
He had already decided to leave, and was only waiting on his day’s wages, but unfortunately for him, the raid arrived first. The mason from Sefwi said he had travelled to Osino because work at home had dried up, and a friend already at the site had called him over. “I told my friend business […]
A construction worker from Sefwi had plans to leave Osino, a site for illegal mining, after receiving his day's wages. However, a raid by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) arrived before he could leave. The mason explained that he had come to the site due to a lack of work back home and a friend who had already offered him a job. He was apprehensive about being caught, as he did not have anyone to support him financially.
A 15-year-old boy, Bernard, from Navrongo, was also among the 13 people arrested. He claimed he was brought to the site by someone to help him raise money for his education. Another individual, originally from Kumasi, said he had come to the site three days ago and defended his decision, stating that earning around GH¢300 a day at the galamsey site was better than stealing when they had no income at home.
The NAIMOS spokesperson, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, revealed that the Osino operation was a repeat of a previous raid, indicating the need for permanent security presence at illegal mining hotspots instead of periodic operations. Communities around such sites are divided, with some benefiting from the activity while others oppose it. However, those against galamsey continue to provide valuable intelligence to enforcement teams.
Written by urgent.news from Adom Online's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
