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The Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda, has denied allegations that he ordered the release of suspected illegal miners following the violent confrontation between residents of Hwidiem and members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) taskforce.
Speaking on Asempa FM on Monday, November 3, 2025, Collins Dauda clarified that his colleague, the MP for Asutifi North, only intervened in the matter at his request while he was attending Pan-African Parliament meetings in South Africa.
Dauda explained that he received several calls from constituents about a military operation in the area, prompting him to ask the local Assembly member to speak with the taskforce’s team leader. However, the officer declined to engage.
“When the calls kept coming, the Asutifi North MP contacted me, saying he was coming for a funeral in my constituency,” Dauda recounted. “I pleaded with him, given his position, to go and speak with the commander of the team, hoping he would be able to get a briefing. He did not initially plan to go; he only became involved because I asked him to.”
According to Dauda, the Asutifi North MP later met the taskforce commander and received a briefing on the illegal mining operation and the seizure of equipment.
“I did not intervene in the operation. The call even dropped during the briefing, and I did not call back. Later, I heard that some youth attacked the team as they moved to the police station. That is all I know about the matter,” he said.
Responding to reports that he ordered the release of the arrested individuals, the MP strongly refuted the claim, saying: “I did not instruct the commander to release anyone arrested. If he is a Catholic, he should swear with his rosary; if not, he can use his Bible — I am willing to hold the Quran and swear. The conversation was not even completed, and the line dropped. I did not give any instructions to release the suspects.”
His comments come amid ongoing investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) following the November 1 attack on NAIMOS personnel in Hwidiem, where a mob vandalised vehicles and attempted to interfere with police operations.
Meanwhile, Hon. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, the MP for Asutifi North, has also issued a statement clarifying his role, describing the situation as a “misunderstanding.” He explained that he only intervened after being asked by Collins Dauda to assess the situation while en route to a funeral at Achrensua.
Both MPs have maintained that their involvement was limited to seeking information about the incident and not to influence law enforcement actions.
