The Ghana Police Service has intensified its fight against crime, cracking down on robbers in Bolgatanga, Accra, while also rescuing trafficked persons in Tema.
The rescue of the trafficked victims from Nigeria confirms the police’s vow to tame cross-border crime.
The ongoing operations suggest a strategic shift, with police taking the proactive measures to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks.
Sources indicate that, these crackdowns are part of a broader effort to restore law and order, with police carrying the fight to the doorsteps of these elements.
As the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, in an interview recently put it – “we are taking back our streets and no one is above the law”.
On Tuesday January 2, 2026 at about 10:00hours, personnel of the operations unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, while trailing a suspect in Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region, came under attack from robbers.
Police immediately engaged the armed elements in a shootout and when the dust settled, one person sustained serious gunshot injuries. He died whilst being conveyed to the hospital.
The deceased suspect was identified as BanabasAkolgo, aka Akoli, aged 36, who was initially arrested from a hideout at Kotokoli, a suburb of Bolgatanga.
He promised to take the police to a hideout to pick other criminals who are on the radar of the law enforcement officers.
Upon reaching a place close to the object, armed gangsters attacked police amid sporadic gunfire, in order to set Akolgo free.
During the ensued exchanges, the suspect was maimed, but died, as he was being conveyed to the hospital.
Police retrieved from the scene five spent shells of AK47 assault rifle, four live AK47 assault rifle ammunitions and a black scooter bike with registration number M-24-NR-8767, suspected to belong to the gangsters.
Further investigation by police reveals that, Akolgo was the leader of an armed robbery group who committed a series of atrocities on the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway, as well as residential areas in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
Police identified his accomplices as Abuto, Maxwell, aka Cashout, Shatta, Weezy, aka Wee Bag and convicted prisoner, Bashit, in Kumasi prison.
Akolgo, somewhere last year, led his gang, including Bashit, to attack and rob a woman at Roman Hill, around Zongo, in Kumasi.
The robbers succeeded in taking money amounting to GHC95,000.00 (Ninety-five thousand Ghana Cedis) in her shop.
Police arrested both Akolgo and Bashit with the latter being sentenced whilst Akolgo was acquitted and discharged.
On January 13, 2026 he again led other remnants of the group to rob Alhaji Seidu Busanga of unspecified amount of money, in his Bolgatanga based fertilizer shop and bolted to Kumasi.
Police investigation also disclosed that the deceased and his accomplices used to terrorise commuters in Bolgatanga Central Market, snatching motorbikes and mobile phones.
The gang, according to the police became notorious, would intimidate and cause harm to any potential victim at any time.
Again, in Bolgatanga, the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) on February 2, 2026 carried out intelligence-led operation and arrested Anaba Morgan from his hideout.
That, on January 23, 2026 the suspect and a gang numbering five, on three motorbikes, armed with AK47 assault rifles, pump action gun and a pistol attacked a victim, Stephen Ayessah, and subjected him to severe beatings at Sokabisi JHS Park.
They robbed Stephen of his iPhone 12 Pro max, Apple Smat Watch, cash of GHC2,200 (Two thousand and two hundred Ghana Cedis) and a Yamaha Scooter.
Two empty shells of AK47 assault rifle ammunition were found at the scene.
Eyewitnesses were able to identify the suspects as perpetrators of the crime.
In Accra, police on January 14, 2026, arrested two identified as Stephen Gletsu and Mohammed Sheriff riding unregistered Royal morbike.
While Gletsu was the rider, Sheriff was the pillion rider, was carrying a cutlass.
Upon noticing the police patrol team, the suspects attempted to flee but lost control and fell.
They subsequently tried to escape on foot, but were pursued and arrested by the patrol team.
A search conducted on them led to the retrieval of several items suspected to be proceeds of crime.
They include multiple mobile phones of different brands, cash amounting to GHC2,690 (Two thousand six hundred and ninety Ghana Cedis), two dollars and a necklace.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to carrying out fifty robbery activities in Accra alone. Some victims have gone to identify their items.
Meanwhile, the police personnel who performed the operation have been promoted to their next ranks.
On February 2, 2026 a team from the Special Operations Assistance to the IGP, joined by personnel at OkpoiGono district arrested two persons, Robinson Endurance and Derrick Glory, for kidnapping at Devtraco, Tema Community 25.
They were said to have kidnapped ten victims who were being used for cybercrime operations.
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The post Mopping Up The ‘Jungles’ … Criminals Open Fire, Police Respond appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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