Court remands six over GH¢7.5m gold robbery at Adabraka

An Accra Circuit Court has ordered the remand of six men in connection with an alleged armed robbery involving GH¢7.5 million at the Adabraka market area in Accra.

The suspects were brought before Circuit Court ‘3’, presided over by Her Honour Susana Eduful, where they denied charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.

The accused persons are Salim Mohammed Fariwata, 26, unemployed; Alhassan Iliyasu Arabman, 45, a businessman; Hamza Agerego Lambert, also known as Nene Bawku, 34, a security guard; Abdul Samed Bonsiabu Larry, also called Touch, 44, a businessman; Fatao Mohammed, popularly known as Motorway; and Abubakar Sadique, also known as Fifty Cent or 50.

Prosecutors told the court that a seventh suspect, identified as Baba Chika, also known as Oil Money, is currently at large.

According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo, the incident occurred on November 2, 2024, near the Cabest Jewellery Shop at the Adabraka market. He said the complainant, Clement Amos Baffour, Chief Executive Officer of Cabest Jewellery, had completed a gold transaction that resulted in the receipt of GH¢7.5 million.

The money was reportedly placed in a red Toyota Corolla saloon car with registration number GE 4840-24 and was being transported to a bank for deposit when the robbery occurred.

Chief Inspector Teye-Okuffo told the court that the Corolla was intercepted a short distance away by a Toyota Highlander vehicle bearing registration number GN 7357-19. He alleged that occupants of the Highlander, who were masked and armed with AK-47 rifles, blocked the Corolla, fired gunshots into the air and onto the ground to frighten traders and shoppers, and forcibly took the cash.

During the robbery, the front-seat passenger of the Corolla was shot in the left leg. The assailants allegedly gathered the GH¢7.5 million into their vehicle and escaped, firing shots as they fled, causing some of the money to scatter.

The prosecution said police investigations subsequently led to the arrest of the six accused persons at different locations, including Ashaiman.

During searches, police reportedly recovered 43 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 249 BB cartridges, two pump-action guns, four bulletproof vests, a black police boot and other items believed to be connected to the robbery.

Investigators also retrieved the Toyota Highlander allegedly used in the operation. The court was told that the vehicle had been re-sprayed from its original colour to blue and was found to be using multiple registration numbers.

Lawyers for the accused persons applied for bail, arguing that their clients are Ghanaian citizens who are presumed innocent under Article 19(3)(c) of the 1992 Constitution. They further alleged that some of the accused were assaulted during arrest in attempts to extract confessions.

The prosecution opposed the bail application, citing the gravity of the offence, ongoing investigations and the fact that one suspect remains on the run.

In her ruling, Her Honour Susana Eduful denied the bail request and ordered that the six accused persons be remanded into police custody.

The matter has been adjourned to February 2, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., for further investigations and continuation of the case.