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Manso Bonteso Erupts: Three Arrested, Five Shot in Security Crackdown
Tension has gripped Manso Bonteso in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region after a violent security operation by the IGP Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force left four people shot and three others including the local Assembly Member, Hon. Patrick Asare under arrest.
Eyewitnesses recount that a heavily armed team stormed the Bonteso Electoral Area without prior notice on Wednesday evening, opening fire indiscriminately. Residents, caught off guard, fled in panic as gunshots echoed through the community.
Security personnel reportedly claimed the raid was part of an anti illegal mining operation, alleging that the community as a whole was complicit in galamsey activities. However, locals strongly reject these accusations, describing the operation as unprovoked and targeting innocent civilians.
During the chaos, four people sustained gunshot wounds, with three in critical condition receiving treatment at a local health facility. Witnesses say the force used was excessive and unnecessary.
Hon. Patrick Asare , Assembly Member for Bonteso, Gyeniso, Akaniase Electoral Area and two others were taken into custody, a move that has sparked outrage among residents. They insist the Assembly Member is innocent and has no involvement in illegal mining, describing his arrest as politically motivated and deeply unjust.
According to local accounts, the Assembly Member and the others were arrested after he approached the task force to question why they had deliberately shot at the electricity transformer supplying power to the entire community.
The community is now demanding the immediate release of all detainees and an independent investigation into the actions of the task force. Local leaders warn they will resist any further unlawful attempts to intimidate residents in their own homes.
The incident has left Manso Bonteso on edge, with fears of renewed unrest if authorities fail to address the matter swiftly.In his response, Hon. Prince Manu Morison, the District Chief Executive for Amansie West, denied allegations by the Special Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force that residents were engaged in galamsey activities.
“It is not true that my people,the good people of Bonteso were involved in any illegal mining operations,” he stated.
He urged security personnel to prioritize human dignity and community welfare in the discharge of their duties.
Hon. Morison also appealed to residents to remain calm despite what he described as the false accusations and the trauma caused by the security operation.
“Let us all do our part to maintain a peaceful community,” he emphasized.
