Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has urged the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to review its operational methods in tackling the illegal mining menace following the recent attack on its members in the Ahafo Region.

According to him, the growing threat of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has evolved into a major national security concern that demands strategic rethinking, spotlighting that those at the forefront of combating the menace must constantly assess their approach to remain effective and safe.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, November 3, Mr Kumadoe acknowledged the grave danger illegal mining poses to Ghana’s overall national security. He explained that the menace of galamsey has evolved beyond an environmental issue into a serious security challenge that directly endangers frontline officers.

“It is clear and vivid that galamsey poses a major national security threat. In that regard, when you are dealing with it in whichever capacity, you are directly involved or faced with the threat. Operational challenges, entrapment, are one of the challenges they have to go through. So, in that regard, yes, it is a major security threat they have faced.

“It is time the NAIMOS themselves must do things themselves, and that is they must review the scheme’s operational methodology and also reassess the approach and strategy they use in many of the communities they would want to work at, whether they are curtailing it or detracting them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has ordered a swift investigation into the attack on NAIMOS officers at Bronikrom, near Hwediem, on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

The attack occurred when the team, led by the NAIMOS Director, intercepted illegal miners operating in the area.

Preliminary police reports indicate that several suspects were arrested, and key exhibits, including a Smith & Wesson pistol, ammunition, two pistol magazines, an unregistered Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and several mobile phones, were retrieved during the operation.

However, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to take over the case and conduct a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding the assault.