First Vice Chairman of the NDC in the Obuasi West Constituency, Alhaji Jibril Zamba, has dismissed allegations linking him to illegal mining activities in the Ashanti Region, insisting he has committed no offence and cannot be arrested over the matter.
Speaking in an interview on July 28, 2026, Zamba denied claims that he unlawfully took over a mining concession in the Adansi enclave, arguing that the disputed land does not belong to any individual.
The controversy dates back to 2025, when reports alleged that more than 200 acres of a mining concession in the Adansi enclave had been overrun by illegal miners, forcing licensed operators off the site.
At the time, Zamba was accused of leading a group of unauthorised miners to occupy a legitimate pre-production mining concession, with reports claiming they insisted they had permission to operate there.
Responding to the allegations, Zamba maintained that the concession had been released to residents following engagements involving community leaders, government officials and the Minerals Commission.
“That concession does not belong to anyone. I have the documents available with me. During NDC’s John Mahama era, a lot of people used to go to the mines in Obuasi, and that angered the locals, so they demonstrated. The current Obuasi West Mayor was then the MCE, and we held several meetings with the Minerals Commission. After those meetings, about 60% of the concession was released to the government, which was later released to us, the locals,” he claimed.
Zamba declined to comment further on the ownership dispute, noting that the matter is currently before the court.
He insisted that he has nothing to fear and claimed he is protected from any attempt to arrest him.
“The issue is in court, so I don’t want to go deeper into it, but you can’t arrest me. You can’t arrest Zamba because I am well protected. You can’t arrest me. I want everybody to see the kind of person I am. I am a very powerful person,” he said.
The NDC official also recounted an earlier incident in which he was arrested at the mining site, claiming he instructed those working with him to flee while he stayed behind.
“I told the guys I was working with to run away and allow me to sacrifice myself because I had invested GH¢17 billion in the area, and I wanted the locals to quit the mining,” he alleged.
According to Zamba, he voluntarily surrendered to military officers who transported him to Accra but was released later the same day by a presidential staffer.
“I surrendered myself to the soldiers who took me to Accra. That same day, I was released by a presidential staffer. They didn’t take any statement from me because they knew I had committed no crime. I was given the go-ahead to allow the locals to mine because some of the high officials were against galamsey,” he claimed.
He further alleged that one of the soldiers who had threatened to kill him later died in a road accident.
“One of the soldiers threatened me, saying that it pained him that he couldn’t kill me, but by the time I left Accra for my village, he had been involved in an accident and died,” he alleged.
