23-year-old illegal miner found dead at Akontanim

Kwabena Agyei, a 23-year-old man, was found dead on Monday, April 13, 2026, at Akontanim in the Dormaa East District. The Akontanim Area Council Chairman, Bismark Ofori, discovered the lifeless body on the outskirts of the community at about 4:30 p.m. He lodged a report around 6:10 p.m.

The deceased was wearing black shorts and had traces of muddy clay on his face and visible injuries on his chest and back. Investigators believe the deceased had been part of a group engaged in illegal mining when they encountered members of a taskforce from the Dormaa Traditional Area. The Bono Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service, through its Public Relations Officer Chief Inspector Thomas Akeelah, confirmed the incident on Tuesday, April 14.

Around 7:30 p.m., a group estimated at about 70 individuals blocked the main road at Kyeremasu on the Dormaa Ahenkro-Berekum highway by burning tyres and obstructing traffic. The group attacked two police vehicles. A combined team of police and military personnel cleared the road and restored order. On Tuesday, April 14, a larger crowd, estimated at about 400 people, mounted a similar blockade on the Berekum-Dormaa road. The body has been deposited at the Dormaa Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital morgue for preservation, identification, and autopsy. The police say investigations into the suspected killing are ongoing, with efforts underway to identify and arrest those responsible. The command advises "the public to desist from any violent acts that will jeopardise the peace of the area, while efforts are underway to get the perpetrators of the crime apprehended to face the full rigours of the law."