The youth of Teleku Bokazo, a mining hamlet in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, are in mourning after one of them was shot dead and four others were injured at Nkroful Magistrate Court by allegedly armed individuals.
Andrew Donkor, the dead, was one of a group of young men who surrounded the Nkroful Magistrate Court earlier on Friday, April 1, 2022, after roughly 40 young men were caught in an Adamus Mines-owned mining hole.
An eye witness to the incident, Francis Nkrumah, told Empire News that the teenagers had gone to the dig to mine as early on Friday, April 1, but were seized by some armed men suspected of being employed by Adamus mining, but they were able to flee. He claimed that once the arrestees were taken away, the remainder of the community petitioned the area's chief to intervene on their behalf.
He claims the chief immediately dialed one of Adamus Mines' managers, who said he was away in Takoradi, so he advised the chief to dial another number.
According to the eyewitness, the chief summoned Adamus Mines' other manager, who admitted that an arrest had been made, but that they were not assaulted.
The chief also called the area's District Chief Executive, Hon Kwasi Bonzoh, who promised to get back to him.
The arrested young guys were eventually brought before the Nkroful Magistrate Court.
As a result, they went to the court with their leader and some of the town's elders. The Chief attempted to represent them in court, but he took his phone outside to record visuals of what was going on.
However, he was afterwards interrogated by one of the armed guards stationed in the courtroom. He heard a gunshot and realized one of them had been shot in the chest within a short period of time.
He claimed they brought the victim to the Eikwe Government Hospital right away, but he was pronounced dead. Some people were also hurt after being pelted with stones.