Two robbers killed in a police gun battle at Obuasi–Manso Nyinahin

Two suspected armed robbers have been shot dead following a gun battle during an intelligence-led operation by the Ashanti South Regional Police Command targeting a robbery syndicate linked to highway attacks.

A police officer also sustained injuries in the exchange of fire.

The operation, carried out between April 25 and 26, 2026, was aimed at recovering weapons and dismantling a group suspected of carrying out violent roadblock robberies along the Obuasi–Manso Nyinahin stretch and other highways across the country.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, April 28, Ashanti South Regional Police Commander, DCOP Joseph Hammond Nyaaba, said the operation began after intelligence pointed to the hideout of a key suspect, Sumaila Munkaila, also known as “Guda,” at Vitin in Tamale in the Northern Region.

He said police arrested the 37-year-old suspect on April 25. During interrogation, the suspect allegedly admitted involvement in several robberies, including a July 2025 attack on the convoy of His Excellency Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam, as well as recent highway robberies along the Buipe–Tamale and Vizesi–Fumbisi routes.

The suspect is also said to have mentioned four accomplices, leading police to Savelugu, where another suspect, Umaro Musah, was arrested later the same day.

DCOP Nyaaba explained that both suspects later guided police to a bush near Yizesi, close to Fumbisi in the Upper East Region, where they claimed weapons used in their operations had been buried.

However, the operation turned violent on April 26 when the police team was ambushed by unidentified gunmen who opened fire from within the bush, triggering a heavy exchange of gunfire.

In the process, the suspects attempted to flee but sustained gunshot wounds, while a police officer was also injured.

The injured were rushed to the Tamale Government Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies have since been deposited at the Bekwai Municipal Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

Police retrieved several weapons from the scene, including a CZ 805 assault rifle with 14 rounds of 5.56x39mm ammunition, an AK-47 rifle loaded with 56 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition, a pump-action gun with six BB cartridges, and a single-barreled gun. Four jackets were also recovered.

DCOP Nyaaba said investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to arrest three additional suspects identified as Tongude, Sumaila, and Berra.

He praised the officers for their professionalism and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intensifying operations against armed robbery and improving safety on highways across the country.