The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has condemned a violent confrontation between suspected illegal miners and police personnel at Bepotenten Sukuum near Jacobu in the Amansie Central District, which left one person dead and another injured.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, January 26, 2026, Dr. Amoakohene described the incident as unfortunate and emphasised that the police have a constitutional mandate to maintain law and order.

He warned that no individual or group is permitted to mobilise to attack law enforcement officers.

According to a police statement released on January 24, 2026, the violence erupted during a routine patrol on Thursday, January 23, 2026.

The patrol team had earlier recovered a pump-action gun from a 15-year-old boy and instructed him to have the owner report to the police station with proper legal documentation.

As the team was returning, they were reportedly blocked by a crowd of about 100 people, some armed with firearms and cutlasses.

During the confrontation, one of the crowd members seized a police service rifle.

In the struggle to recover the weapon, police shot the individual who had taken the rifle, injuring another person in the process.

The service rifle was subsequently recovered.

Dr. Amoakohene urged the youth in the region to avoid direct confrontations with law enforcement and to resolve grievances through legal channels.

He added that regional authorities are working closely with the Bepotenten Sukuum community to ensure full cooperation and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the clash.