Court remands Nigerian national for two weeks over armed robbery in Labone

The Accra Circuit Court has remanded a 49-year-old Nigerian national, Augustine Okechuku Maazi, into police custody for two weeks over his alleged involvement in a robbery syndicate operating across parts of West Africa.

Okechuku Maazi is facing eight counts of conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with alleged attacks in Tema, Spintex and Labone. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The prosecution told the court that the accused is allegedly a member of a six-man robbery syndicate that targets individuals shortly after they conduct transactions at banks.

According to the prosecution, the group operates across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin and had been under police surveillance since May 2026 following a robbery incident at Spintex.

The investigation took a dramatic turn on August 13, 2026, when police reportedly engaged some members of the suspected syndicate in a shootout at Labone.

Two suspects were killed during the encounter, while three others reportedly escaped and remain at large.

Lawyers for Okechuku Maazi applied for bail, but the prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the accused posed a flight risk and that investigations into the alleged criminal activities were still ongoing.

Presiding judge, JoJo Amoah Hagan, subsequently denied the bail application and ordered that Okechuku Maazi remain in police custody for two weeks.

He is expected to reappear before the court on September 2, 2026.