Police in the Ashanti Region have arrested five Nigerians and a Ghanaian suspected of trailing and robbing bank customers in Kumasi over the past month.
The arrest followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering. According to Regional Police Commander DCOP Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe, the suspects operated with precision, targeting customers as they exited financial institutions, following them discreetly, and then breaking into their vehicles at isolated locations.
Two of the suspects were first identified through video footage captured by the police’s Intelligence Video Surveillance (IVS) system. That led to the tracking of two getaway vehicles — a gold-coloured Toyota Highlander (GT 2471-14) and a black Toyota Highlander (GX 7124-12).
On the morning of Thursday, June 19, police arrested three more suspects: 29-year-old taxi driver Russell Ekenze, 49-year-old Francis Friday, and Linus Agwazie, a 51-year-old trader.
Interrogations revealed a larger syndicate behind the heists, with members allegedly involved in robberies at several hotspots in the city, including Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Asokwa, ShopRite, Mayanka, the Kumasi Central Mosque, and near the Georgia Hotel.
“They confessed to a series of coordinated thefts and gave us names of others still at large,” said DCOP Cudjoe.
“We are actively searching for one Cosmas Maduabuchukwu, who managed to flee with gunshot wounds during an attempted arrest. Others identified include Ezuchukwu, C.J, DD, and Lele.”
Residents of Kumasi expressed relief at the arrests, though some pointed fingers at local authorities for inaction. A few even blamed Hon. Boam, the MP for Pru East, for failing to resolve community security concerns, citing campaign promises he made in 2024.
Meanwhile, the two vehicles used in the criminal operations have been impounded, and the six suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. A manhunt is underway for the remaining fugitives.
