Eight suspected members of a notorious robbery syndicate have been nabbed by the Bono Regional Police Command in a swoop to crack down on criminal activities in the area. Out of the eight, five have already been taken to court.
The suspects, identified as Johnson Amponsah Kwame Diawuo, 47; Shadrach Owusu, 25; Kwafo Samuel, 30; Latif Mustapha, 28; Mosby Owusu, 20; Kofi Iddrisa, 45; Kwabena Agon Azubilla Akalotey, 18; and Baba Kumi Foster, 35, were rounded up at different locations during the operations.
This information was contained in a statement released on Monday, December 8, by the Command.
In July, two individuals; Atame Elijah and Nasiru Yakubu were arrested in connection with a gold robbery incident at the Bomfa Adumasa market in the Ashanti South Region.
The suspects were picked up from their hideouts after a collaborative effort between community members and the police.
This was made known by the Ashanti South Regional Police Command while speaking to the media on Tuesday, October 21.
The police retrieved a bag containing some gold and money from at the hideout. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspect.
Six individuals sustained injuries following the robbery incident which occurred on Monday, October 20. The armed robbers stormed the community and attacked some gold buyers, firing several gunshots in the process.
In the meantime, two of the culprits have been detained by the Konongo Divisional Police Command for further investigation.
In a separate incident, the police in August announced the retrieval of items used by a gang of armed men during a gold shop robbery at Mpohor in the Western Region.
Weapons, ammunition, clothing, and other materials were among the exhibits. According to a Facebook post on Tuesday, August 19, the police stated that the retrieved items would aid in the ongoing investigation into the case.
On Sunday, August 17, one person was arrested in connection with the robbery. The police explained that the retrieval was made possible after officers from the Kuntanase District in the Ashanti Region intercepted a suspicious white Toyota Sienta near the Aputuoagya–Bekwai road.
Currently, the police are on a manhunt for eight others allegedly involved in the heist. They added that two men who were standing by the vehicle fled upon seeing the approaching patrol team.
According to the police, a search of the vehicle led to the recovery of an AK-47 assault rifle, a locally manufactured firearm, two AK-47 magazines loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition each, and other materials believed to have been used during the robbery.
“The Ghana Police Service, in its ongoing investigation into the Mpohor gold shop robbery case, has recovered weapons, ammunition, clothing items and some other exhibits linked to the case. As part of intensified anti-robbery patrols, officers from the Kuntanase District in the Ashanti Region intercepted a suspicious white Toyota Sienta near the Aputuoagya–Bekwai road.
“Two men who were standing by the vehicle fled into the bush upon seeing the approaching police patrol team. A thorough search of the vehicle uncovered an AK-47 assault rifle, a locally manufactured firearm, two AK-47 magazines loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition each, additional packets of ammunition, cowrie shells, a Huawei smartphone, identity documents, and some clothing items.
“A careful examination of the recovered exhibits against the CCTV footages of the Mpohor robbery revealed a striking resemblance between the clothing items (hooded tops) and the wellington boots that were used during the robbery. The recovery of these items marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation and manhunt for the suspects,” parts of the statement read.
The Ghana Police Service assured the public of its commitment to ensuring security, law, and order across the country.”The Police Administration commends the Kuntanase District patrol team for their dedication to duty.
The investigation team continues to examine other exhibits and follow possible leads. At the same time, security operations have been intensified across the country to get the perpetrators arrested and brought to justice,” it assured.
What the law says about robbery and stealingSection 149 of the Criminal Offenses Act states that a person who commits robbery commits a first-degree felony. Per Section 150, “a person who steals a thing commits robbery (a) if in, and for the purpose of stealing the thing, that person uses force or causes harm to any other person, or (b) if that person uses a threat or criminal assault or harm to any other person, with intent to prevent or overcome the resistance of the other person to the stealing of the thing.”
Section 124 of the Criminal Offenses Act also indicates that a person who steals commits a second-degree felony. Where the court that finds a person guilty of stealing is satisfied that, on not less than two previous occasions, the accused was found guilty of stealing, the court shall order that the whole or a part of the term of imprisonment imposed shall be spent in productive hard labour.
A person subjected to such an order is disqualified from election to Parliament or a District Assembly within the meaning of the Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462), for up to five years. Productive hard labour refers to labour in a state farm, state factory, or any other public co-operative or collective enterprise specified by the Minister.
In July, the Police secured a conviction in a four-year-old armed robbery case that occurred in Atonsu, Kumasi. The Kumasi Circuit Court sentenced two individuals to 15 years’ imprisonment for their role in the violent incident.
The convicts, Abass Kasim (26) and Daniel Morro, alias “China” (25), were part of a gang of five that attacked a resident in Atonsu Kumasi on July 31, 2021, around 2:30 a.m.
The gang, wielding a pistol and cutlasses, shot the victim in the abdomen, inflicted multiple cutlass wounds, and robbed him of valuables, including an iPhone 11 worth GHS 5,500, a Samsung phone worth GHS 500, two Apple Watches valued at GHS 3,000, two ladies’ handbags, jewelry, $600, and an unspecified amount of Ghana cedis.
Following investigations, Abass Kasim was arrested on August 12, 2021. During interrogation, he confessed and led police to arrest Daniel Morro. A pistol used in the attack was later retrieved.
On August 19, 2021, the suspects were arraigned before Kumasi Circuit Court 4 and remanded into custody after pleading not guilty.
They reappeared on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, when they were convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each on charges including conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, unlawful entry, abetment of crime, and possession of firearms without authority.
The sentences are to run concurrently. They have since been transferred to the Central Prisons in Kumasi. Meanwhile, three accomplices remain at large.
The police also reported another success after an armed robber, Paul Avortide, was sentenced to 19 years with hard labor for robbery. The 25-year-old, on May 21 at about 4:00 a.m., attacked a pregnant Nigerian woman, Ogechi Chidiebere, at Tsikpota near New Housing, Ho.
Armed with a machete, he robbed her of GHS 3,000 and a Tecno Spark 30c phone valued at GHS 2,500 as she made her way to antenatal care. On June 19, police arrested Harmony Nbonu at Ho Main Market with the stolen phone.
He confessed that Avortide had sold it to him for GHS 850. A coordinated operation led to Avortide’s arrest at Matse, a suburb of Ho, as he attempted to flee.
After investigations, Avortide was charged with robbery under Section 149 of the Criminal Offenses Act, while Nbonu was charged with Dishonestly Receiving under Section 146. They were arraigned before Ho Circuit Court on Tuesday, July 1. Avortide pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 19 years in prison, while Nbonu was acquitted and discharged.
Meanwhile, three individuals suspected in a robbery at Nyanikrom near Shama Junction on Wednesday, July 9, were apprehended. They are Francis Mensah, alias Francis Kwaw (34), Ebenezer Cofie (32), and Samuel Bentum (35). The Western Regional Police Command arrested them following targeted surveillance based on credible intelligence.
Police revealed that the suspects, armed with insider information, planned to rob company officials returning from a bank in Takoradi with salary funds.
On the said day, the suspects ambushed the company vehicle near Unique School Junction at Nyanikrom.They broke the vehicle’s window and made away with the cash. A swift police response led to the arrest of three suspects and the recovery of GHS 149,500.
The suspects are currently in custody, assisting with investigations. However, the company’s driver, Maxwell Kofi Yeboah, alleged to have conspired with them, is at large and being pursued.
“The Western Regional Police Command assures the public that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspect and bring all perpetrators to justice,” the police said.
Despite these successes, the Police Service continues to suffer casualties in its fight against armed robbery. Several officers have lost their lives while on duty, though the exact number remains unclear.
One such incident occurred in September 2024, when an officer was ambushed and killed by armed robbers at Kwame Peprakrom in the Central Region. In response, the government introduced a GHS 50,000 insurance scheme for officers who lose their lives while on duty.
