The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole says he has written to the Interior Minister to set up a police post in mining communities along Ghana’s border with Ivory Coast taken over by gunmen.

Yusif Sulemana said the raid by police when the presence of some rebels was reported in the Rorthern Regional town, is not the way to go since the residents are still living in fear.   

The MPs request to the Ministry follows a Joy News’ Hotline documentary ‘Rebel Land’ which highlighted how rebels and local gunmen are raining terror on residents of the area.

Dollar Power and Accra near the Northern Region town of Bole, have been hotbeds of illegal mining.

Related: Rebel Land: Joy News digs deep into rebel activities at Ghana-Ivory Coast border

In February this year, the Northern Regional Police Command promised to conduct an operation in the town of Bole to arrest gunmen operating along Ghana’s border with Ivory Coast.

Northern Regional Police PRO, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh told Joy News persons in possession of firearms that are not registered were engaging in an illegality explaining they would map out a strategy to drive out all persons operating illegally out of Bole.

He visited the area after the documentary aired and confirmed that illegal gold mining in small towns such as Dollar Power and Bole Accra have attracted former Ivorian rebels.

Related: Police ready to flush out gunmen along Ghana border with Ivory Coast

Joy News' Kwettey Nartey reported the activities of rebels, who have mounted checkpoints at some vantage points to extort money from passers-by.

The activities of the rebels have become a major concern for residents who told the reporter that they are constantly living in fear.

Their lands which used to be farms, have been converted to mining grounds with over a thousand illegal miners engaged in the activities.

“Every blessed day our lives are always at risk [because] you don’t know what will happen,” one resident said.

“This road is dangerous and sometimes we fight with them,” another said, adding one of the residents has been shot in the engagement before.

The rebels have grown bold to the extent that in 2016, some gunmen attacked members of the Bole District Security Council killing a soldier and a nursing mother.

The Police Command said it was ready to bring an end to the activities of the gunmen in order to restore peace in the area.

On Wednesday’s edition of the Joy News Agenda, Kwetey Nartey takes a look at what has been done after the story was first aired three months ago. 

His visit to the Bole MP revealed that nothing much has been done and legislator is hopeful that the Interior Ministry will make good its promise to protect the residents as local miners rely on gunmen to protect their gold.  

Watch the documenatry below: