Tarkwa: Two men who planned to rob commuters on the Asankra Saah-Asankragwa Road in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region have been handed 15 years' imprisonment each with hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court. They are Mohammed Abdul Salam, 28, and Karim Yakubu, 42, both unemployed.
According to Ghana News Agency, the convicts pleaded guilty to conspiracy, preparation to commit crime, and possession of arms and ammunition without authority. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Samuel Ahiabor, who prosecuted the case, stated that the complainant is the Asankragwa Divisional Police Command, while the convicts are natives of Savelugu and Tamale, respectively.
ASP Ahiabor explained that Salam and Yakubu initially traveled from their hometowns to Asankra Saah near Asankragwa to prospect for gold but decided to engage in armed robbery instead. On April 14, 2025, the two men, armed with a locally manufactured single-barrel shotgun with AAA live cartridges, hid themselves under a tree in the nearby bush close to the Asankra Saah-Asankragwa road to rob passengers using that route.
He further stated that on April 15, 2025, around 0310 hours, the Asankragwa night patrol police team, while on their normal patrol duty, spotted the convicts sitting on a tree stump in a bush. As the officers approached, Salam and Yakubu attempted to escape but got trapped in an abandoned mining pit filled with mud. The police officers then rescued and arrested them.
Upon searching the convicts, the police found a locally manufactured single-barrel shotgun loaded with one live AAA cartridge on Salam, while two live cartridges and a Nokia keypad mobile phone were in Yakubu's pocket. Further investigation revealed that Salam provided the shotgun and cartridges for the operation.
