The President of the National Concerned Small Scale Miners Association, Michael Kwadwo Peprah, has been arrested by officers of the Ghana Police Service’s anti-illegal mining taskforce during an operation in the Ashanti Region.
Although the exact reason for his arrest has not been officially disclosed, Mr. Peprah took to Facebook shortly after the incident to share his side of the story. According to him, he was detained after he confronted members of the taskforce and demanded proof of their authority to conduct the operation.
He claimed his intervention was driven by growing concerns within the small-scale mining community about imposters—individuals disguising themselves as law enforcement agents to intimidate miners and seize their equipment unlawfully.
“I only sought to verify who they were,” he posted, alleging that many of these so-called operations have turned out to be fraudulent in the past.
Sources close to Citi News indicate that Mr. Peprah is currently in custody at the Nkawie Police Command. He is expected to be transferred to Accra for further interrogation as investigations into the matter continue.
His arrest has already sparked unease among small-scale miners, many of whom view Mr. Peprah as a vocal advocate against illegal clampdowns and the abuse of miners’ rights.
