3 Robbery Suspects Shot Dead, 2 Officers Injured in Upper East Region Forest Operation

• Upper East Regional Police Command conducted a follow-up operation in the Tilly Forest to recover weapons hidden by a robbery gang
• The operation turned deadly after the police team came under gunfire at the location where suspects had led them
• Six other gang members arrested earlier remain in custody as police continue efforts to identify additional suspects

Three robbery suspects died, and two police officers sustained injuries during a weapons retrieval operation in the Tilly Forest, the Upper East Regional Police Command confirmed.

The operation followed the arrest and dismantling of a suspected robbery gang believed to be responsible for a series of attacks on motorbike riders and mobile money vendors across Benaba, Binduri, Pusiga, Garu, Zebilla and surrounding communities in the region.

Investigators had arranged for some of the detained suspects to guide them to a location in the Tilly Forest where the gang's firearms were said to be hidden.

Read also

University of Ghana graduate arrested for allegedly defrauding students seeking SHS placement

Once the group arrived at the site, the police team came under gunfire from unknown persons, leaving three suspects with gunshot wounds.

The injured suspects were named as Amadu Apiiga, 33; Philip Vokbilla, 20; and Bilal Adabode, also known as Sulley, who had reportedly led the team to the location.

All three were rushed to hospital but were pronounced dead upon arrival. Several other individuals believed to have also sustained gunshot wounds fled the scene before they could be identified.

The two injured police officers are currently receiving medical attention.

Weapons and Evidence Retrieved

Despite the attack, officers recovered a significant cache of items from the forest site. These included two locally manufactured single-barrel guns, two pistols, among them a BRUNI 92 pistol, eleven rounds of 9mm ammunition, eighteen BB live cartridges, three sharp cutlasses, four unregistered Yamaha Aerox scooters, a pair of black boots, one motorbike number plate and two mobile phones.

The Command also disclosed that the gang has been linked to the killing of a police officer during a robbery attack at Zebilla on 8 February 2026.

Read also

Last moments before Kajiado aircraft crash emerge as police share details of those onboard

Six other members of the suspected gang arrested prior to the forest operation remain in custody and are actively assisting investigators. Police said efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend additional members of the group, as well as to trace the origin of the weapons recovered.

The Upper East Regional Police Command urged members of the public to report any individual found with suspected gunshot wounds to the nearest police station, or to contact investigators with any information that could assist the inquiry. Authorities said the investigation is focused on establishing the full scope of the gang's criminal activities and ensuring all those connected to the robberies face justice.

Source: YEN.com.gh