Security Of ‘Illegal’ Chinese Miners Shoot And Kill 22-Year-Old Ghanaian

Security operating with some illegal Chinese miners at Hiawa, a community in the Western Region, has shot and killed a 22-year-old young man, Kwaku Etsi.

Narrating the incident, a resident said Kwaku was shot when he visited the site where the Chinese miners were undertaking illegal mining, known as ‘galamsey’, on Thursday, June 29, 2023.

“They fired multiple shots at him. They first shot his leg, he was not dead and started begging for mercy, but they went ahead to shoot his head, back and chest. He was quickly rushed to the clinic but was pronounced dead on arrival,” the eyewitness narrated.

Reports suggest that the suspect has since bolted from the community.

A few hours after the shooting incident, some angry youth in the community amassed on the streets to protest.

They are reported to have invaded the premises of all the known apartments occupied by Chinese illegal miners in the community.

The angry youth also destroyed some properties belonging to the Chinese nationals.

One of the protesters indicated that the police are hunting them while the Chinese illegal miners are protected to continue their work.

They claim the police in the district have made no attempts to arrest the security officer who shot the young man but have detained some of the protesters instead.

“We were only protesting the death of our friend. We needed answers on why he was shot when he had not stolen anything, as they claimed. Some of our colleagues have been arrested, and the police are on a manhunt for the rest of us. So most of us are fleeing the community as I speak because we are afraid they will come after us. The illegal Chinese miners are still working with their ‘macho men’ whilst we are fleeing,” one of the protesters indicated.

Other residents claimed they were being tormented by the activities of the Chinese illegal miners and their gun-wielding men.

“The ‘macho men’ have been parading the community with pump action guns without any fear. They have been protecting the Chinese illegal miners all day and night. They hold the pump action guns on the streets every day, and nobody dare say anything to them,” another resident indicated.

Meanwhile, the Assemblymember of the community, Ebenezer Obimpeh, has indicated that the situation is currently under control as protesters who were arrested have been granted bail after they were paraded before the court.