Three workers of Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited in Gbane have reportedly sustained various degrees of injury in an underground clash between the large-scale mining company and Nanlamtaaba Mining Enterprise, a small-scale mining firm.
The violent confrontation at dawn on Friday is one of several incidents recorded since the execution of a Bolgatanga High Court order directing the Upper East Regional Police Command to provide protection to the small-scale mining firm to carry out mining operations in a disputed 25-acre concession in the Gbane area, even though the Enterprise’s small-scale mining licence over the disputed concession had expired.
The company’s spokesperson confirmed the incident and disclosed that the injured persons included a Chinese national who works as an underground supervisor and two personnel of Reliable Protection Services, a security company providing security services to the large-scale mining company.
It has also emerged that the recent underground incident occurred less than 24 hours after the Upper East Regional Security Council instituted measures to curb an escalation of the heightened security and safety threats in the Gbane mining area.
Key among the directives issued by the Regional Security Council were an instruction to the small-scale mining firm to properly clothe its workers in identifiable attire and not to undertake any blasting activities in its operations until the necessary certification has been provided and the applicable regulatory requirements have been satisfied to the satisfaction of the competent regulatory authority.
In the midst of the chaos that erupted deep underground at dawn on Friday, one alleged agent of Nanlamtaaba Enterprise was apprehended with a full complement of explosives and handed over to the police.
In an earlier press statement issued on September 30, 2026, by the Public and External Relations Unit of Earl International, the company raised an alarm over what it describes as a disturbing and escalating security and safety situation within its lawful mining concession.
“The deliberate decision of the Enterprise to disregard the directives of the Minerals Commission and continue to carry out mining operations without a valid Mining Licence, Mining Operating Permit, Environmental Permit, Explosives Permit and other regulatory requirements is a clear affront to state regulatory authority,” the statement said.
Earl Group called on the government, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to urgently enforce the Cease and Vacate Order and restore full operational control to the company.
It also appealed to security agencies to provide immediate and sustained security in the concession to prevent re-invasion and guarantee the safety of its workers.
