2 arrested for illegal mining near Adansi Asokwa Agenda 111 Hospital site

National Security operatives arrested two people, including site owner Yussif Ibrahim, for illegal mining near the Adansi Asokwa Agenda 111 Hospital project in the Ashanti Region. The arrest of Ibrahim followed his identification by an employee who was picked up during an operation. The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) initiated efforts to reclaim land degraded by illegal miners operating less than five metres behind the hospital walls after media reports emerged in the first week of July.

National Security operatives, acting on REGSEC's directive, have supervised the reclamation of mined-out pits covering an area estimated to be the size of about 30 standard football fields. Officials state that the reclamation process has restored more than 80% of the degraded land. Despite the presence of security personnel, some illegal miners were still found operating at the site, leading to an arrest that assisted in locating Ibrahim. Deputy Regional Security Coordinator Alhaji Abdellah Umar stated that investigations have commenced, and the two suspects are being questioned. He defended the operation, stressing the need to protect the Agenda 111 project site from further degradation, stating, "We know it is very close to the Agenda 111 and when we came, we still see as the reclamation is going on, we've still seen some around. It means when we are not careful, in the next few days or week, we will realize on the premises of the Agenda 111 itself."