The timely intervention of the military yesterday saved two expatriate workers and the security man of a mining company from being attacked by the youth of Wassa Asenso in the Western Region.
The soldiers fired warning shots to force the attackers, who were demanding money from the expatriates, to retreat.
The youth had resolved to prevent a truck carrying an excavator belonging to the mining company from passing through the town unless the two Chinese workers of the company paid an unspecified amount of money to them.
Six suspects
Six of the youth were arrested by the military and handed over to the Sefwi Bekwai District Police Command.
Those arrested have been identified as Yaw Gyamfi, 30; Moses Yamba, 30; Solomon Antwi, 20; Laud Antwi, 25; Essifu Inusah, 30, and Antwi Kofi, 31.
A police source told the Daily Graphic that in the early hours of yesterday, two military men and a private security man were escorting an excavator and other equipment belonging to the mining company on low-bed articulated trucks to its mining site near Wassa Asenso.
On reaching Wassa Asenso, it said, one of the low-bed trucks broke down, leaving the private security man and the two Chinese stranded, as the two military men had gone ahead with the other trucks.
The youth
While the driver was trying to fix the problem, some youth approached the two expatriates to demand money from them, but the two refused to do so, explaining that they had no money on them.
The response from the Chinese, the source said, infuriated the youth, who descended on the Chinese and prevented them from crossing the bridge linking Wassa Asenso to the site.
Security man fires
To protect the equipment, the security man, identified as Adamu Yakubu, fired three warning shots to scare the youth.
The youth then descended on him, took away his gun, beat him up and allegedly attempted to strangle him, but when the military escort heard the gunfire, they rushed back to the scene to rescue Yakubu, while the two Chinese took to their heels.
Re-enforcement
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Western Regional Police, ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, confirmed the story and said the soldiers, after rescuing the victims, called for re-enforcement to control the situation.
One of the young men sustained an injury when the military fired a warning shot to contain the apparent violent situation.
