Three jailed up to 22 years for robbery at Adansi Akwaaku

The Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced 3 persons to between 20 and 22 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for their involvement in a robbery at Adansi Akwaaku near New Edubiase in the Ashanti Region.

The convicts are Eric Afful alias Nana Yeboah, 21, a commercial motor rider; Abdul Ganiu, 24, also a commercial motor rider; and David Mensah alias Rasta, 26, an unemployed person.

The court, presided over by His Honour Issac Appiatu, delivered the sentences on September 8, 2026.

Afful was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on Count Two, abetment of robbery, but was discharged on Count One, conspiracy.

Ganiu and Mensah were each sentenced to 15 years on Count One, conspiracy to commit robbery, and 22 years on Count Three, robbery. The sentences are to run concurrently.

How the Robbery Happened
Prosecutor G/L/Cpl. Peter Oduro told the court that the complainant, Derrick Arthur, was a gold buyer based at Adansi Nkrankese, while Afful was his friend and okada rider.

The court heard that on September 3, 2026, at about 6:10 p.m., Afful met Ganiu and Mensah at Mensah’s residence at Kojo Mankrong and told them that he owed one Ben GH¢2,000.

He said he needed the money to settle the debt and retrieve his seized motorbike, and consequently asked the 2 men to assist him to rob the complainant, whom he regularly transported in connection with his gold business.

The 2 agreed to the plan.
At about 8:00 p.m. that same day, Arthur called Afful to transport him from Nkrankese to Ataase Nkwanta for a MoMo transaction.

Afful immediately contacted Ganiu and Mensah, took them to a cocoa farm along the Akwaaku road and concealed them there before returning to pick up the complainant.

While transporting Arthur, Afful deliberately slowed down and diverted into the area where his accomplices were hiding.

Ganiu then attacked the complainant with a cassava stick and forcibly took his backpack, which contained a digital mining scale valued at GH¢1,500, melting gas worth GH¢800, 2 pounds of gold valued at GH¢22,000 and GH¢10,000 cash.

When Arthur attempted to pursue Ganiu, Mensah pulled a cutlass on him and seized his iPhone 12 mini valued at GH¢2,500.

The 2 accomplices subsequently took the stolen items to Mensah’s house, where they spent the night.

Arthur reported the robbery at the Police barrier at Kojo Mankrong.

Arrests and Recovery
On September 4, 2026, Afful went to Mensah’s house, where the 3 men shared GH¢6,000 from the money stolen from the complainant’s backpack.

Police later arrested Mensah at Apagya. During interrogation, he confessed to the offence and led investigators to Afful at Obonsu and Ganiu at Asonkore, where they were also arrested.

A search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of GH¢2,000 from Afful and another GH¢2,000 from Ganiu.

Police also recovered the complainant’s iPhone 12 mini and GH¢2,705 from Mensah.

The complainant’s backpack was subsequently retrieved from the cocoa farm where the suspects had hidden, although the 2 pounds of gold were missing.