Police kill two suspected highway robbers, officer injured in gun battle
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has shot and killed two suspected highway robbers, while a police officer sustained injuries during a gun battle in an intelligence-led operation to retrieve hidden weapons.
The operation, carried out between April 25 and 26, 2026, targeted a criminal network linked to a series of roadblock robberies along the Obuasi–Manso Nyinahin stretch and other parts of the country.
At a press conference on Tuesday, April 28, Regional Police Commander Joseph Hammond Nyaaba said the operation followed intelligence that a key suspect, Sumaila Munkaila, also known as Guda, was hiding at Vitin in Tamale.
The 37-year-old suspect was arrested on April 25 and, during interrogation, reportedly admitted involvement in several robberies, including a July 2025 attack on the convoy of Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam, as well as recent incidents along the Buipe Tamale and Vizesi Fumbisi highways.
Police said the suspect later named four accomplices and led officers to Savelugu, where another suspect, Umaro Musah, was arrested the same night.
According to DCOP Nyaaba, the two suspects subsequently guided police to a bush near Yizesi, close to Fumbisi in the Upper East Region, where the group had buried weapons after their last operation.
However, during a search of the area on April 26, unidentified gunmen opened fire from within the bush, triggering a fierce exchange.
In the process, the two suspects attempted to escape but sustained gunshot wounds, while a police officer was also injured.
They were rushed to the Tamale Government Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies have since been deposited at the Bekwai Municipal Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Police recovered a cache of weapons from the scene, including a CZ 805 assault rifle with 14 rounds of 5.56 by 39 millimetre ammunition, an AK 47 rifle with 56 rounds of 7.62 by 39 millimetre ammunition, a pump action gun with six BB cartridges, and a single-barreled gun. Four jackets believed to have been used during operations were also retrieved.
DCOP Nyaaba said investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to arrest three other suspects identified as Tongude, Sumaila and Berra.
He commended officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling violent crime and improving safety on highways.