Four Remanded Over Series of Armed Robberies

The Nsuta Circuit Court in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region has remanded four persons into police custody over their alleged involvement in a series of armed robbery attacks targeting gold dealers and mining sites in parts of the Ashanti, Central and Western North regions.

The case has been adjourned to September 23, 2026, for further proceedings, with investigations still ongoing.

The accused are 30-year-old tailor Issah Musa, a resident of DuPaul, a suburb of Offinso; 33-year-old alluvial miner Clinton Mawuli Ashirow, of Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region; 33-year-old mobile money vendor and former military officer Duker Prince, of Odorkor in the Greater Accra Region; and 25-year-old student Wilfred Quansah, of Brahabebome, a suburb of Obuasi.

Presiding judge, His Lordship Simon Nketiah Gagah, issued the remand order on Friday, September 11, 2026.

Chief Inspector C.K. Gyesi, who prosecuted, told the court that the complainants were personnel of the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) of the Ashanti North Police Region in Mampong.

According to the prosecution, the investigation followed an alleged attack on a policewoman stationed at the Offinso Divisional Police Command.

The prosecution said that on August 12, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m., the policewoman, whose name was withheld, was attacked and allegedly raped at gunpoint while returning home after duty.

A team from the Ashanti North Regional PID, assisted by personnel from the Ashanti Central and Ashanti South regions and the IGP’s Special Operations Team, popularly known as Black Maria, was subsequently deployed to investigate the incident and arrest the perpetrators.

Musa was arrested at DuPaul, Offinso, on August 18, 2026, in connection with the alleged attack and rape.

However, investigations allegedly linked him to a wider armed robbery network operating across three regions.

The prosecution said Musa was allegedly a member of a seven-member robbery gang that had been targeting gold shops and mining sites at Manso in the Ashanti Region, Diaso, Ayanfuri and Assin Kusha in the Central Region, and Wassa Akropong in the Western North Region.

According to the prosecution, Musa was recruited into the gang in January 2026 by Seidu Salifu, who is now deceased, after he was allegedly promised substantial financial gains.

GH¢20M GOLD ROBBERY

The court heard that on January 28, 2026, Musa and six other alleged gang members, five of whom were armed with AK-47 rifles, attacked and robbed a gold merchant’s shop at Diaso.

The stolen gold was valued at about GH¢20 million, according to the prosecution.

Musa allegedly admitted in his investigation caution statement to participating in the robbery and receiving GH¢18,000 as his share of the proceeds.

He reportedly mentioned Seidu Salifu, Master, Abedi, Trouble, Fuseini and Billy as his accomplices but denied knowledge of the alleged rape of the policewoman.

OTHER ALLEGED ROBBERIES

Further intelligence allegedly led to the arrest of Ashirow, Prince and Quansah at Dodowa, Odorkor and Brahabebome-Obuasi respectively.

The prosecution said Ashirow had allegedly been recruited into the gang by three persons whose names were withheld from the court.

In 2024, Ashirow, together with Abedi and Master, allegedly carried out their first robbery operation at a galamsey site at Manso.

The prosecution said the trio, armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun, attacked miners and made away with an unspecified quantity of gold.

The gold was subsequently sold and the proceeds shared among the members, with Ashirow allegedly receiving GH¢5,000.

A month later, Ashirow, Abedi and Master allegedly returned to another galamsey site at Manso and robbed miners of gold.

Ashirow reportedly received GH¢18,000 from the proceeds.

The prosecution further alleged that Musa, Abedi, Master and Billy later attacked a gold buyer riding a motorbike at Ayanfuri.

After the stolen gold was sold, Musa allegedly received GH¢200,000 as his share.

FORMER SOLDIER ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED

The court heard that Prince was formerly a Lance Corporal in the Ghana Armed Forces and was attached to the Infantry Unit at 4BN, Burma Camp.

He allegedly resigned from the military on personal grounds on July 27, 2026.

The prosecution said that before his resignation, Prince had allegedly established contact with Abedi and Master, whom investigators identified as members of Musa’s alleged gang.

In July 2025, Prince was allegedly invited to join the group at a galamsey site at Assin Kusha, an invitation he reportedly accepted.

A month later, he allegedly took a pass from his military unit and travelled to Obuasi, where he met Abedi, Master, Billy and Driver.

The group subsequently travelled to Assin Kusha in the Central Region, where they allegedly robbed miners of gold.

Prince reportedly admitted receiving GH¢6,000 as his share of the proceeds, which was allegedly handed to him by Master and Abedi at Akaporiso, a suburb of Obuasi.

THREE AK-47 RIFLES FOUND

Quansah was arrested at his residence at Brahabebome, Obuasi.

The prosecution alleged that Abedi had concealed three AK-47 rifles and 350 rounds of ammunition in the ceiling of Quansah’s room.

The court further heard that investigation caution statements were obtained from the accused persons, in which they allegedly admitted involvement in the offences.

However, the accused persons were not called upon to enter pleas because investigations are still ongoing.

They were subsequently remanded into police custody.

The case has been adjourned to September 23, 2026, for further proceedings.