Five persons including a supposed army officer have been jailed fifteen years each.
The Tamale Circuit Court presided over by His Honor Alexandra Oworae jailed the accused persons for a total of seventy-five years.
They are 27-year-old Ibrahim Issah, Mohammed Mustapha, 23, Vivor Christopher, 27, Benyamin Ajyei, 23, and Seyram Addo, 29.
Their sentence which will run concurrently was after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, robbery, possession of firearms and ammunition without lawful authority. They also pleaded guilty to the possession of police and military accoutrements charges leveled against them.
Another suspect, a teacher, Alhassan Mohammed, who is alleged to be an informant to the gang has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been remanded into prison custody to reappear in court on February 9, 2022.
Another suspect was arrested in connection with the case Mahama Nashiru alias Mohammed, 28 appeared before the Tamale Circuit court and granted bail of Fifty Thousand Ghana cedis with two sureties.
He is expected to reappear in court on February 3, 2022.
On Sunday, January 23, 2022, the five were arrested by the Buipe highway patrol team on duty at Sawaba Police checkpoint in two vehicles with registration numbers AS8445-19 and GX6923-20.
A search conducted on them found thirteen assorted mobile phones, one Falcon Foreign Pistol loaded with 9mm ammunition, a wallet containing a bunch of keys together with two handcuffs keys, two Voter’s ID Cards, Melcom card, Access Bankcard, and a cash sum of Twenty One Ghana cedis Twenty pesewas. Some Military uniforms, Police Ballistic helmets, and police uniforms were also found in the Toyota Camry Spider with registration number GX6923-20.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has distanced itself from the alleged military officer who was arrested with the other four.
A statement signed by Acting Director, Public Relations of GAF, Commander Andy La-Anyone said ‘we wish to state categorically that the suspect is not a soldier of the Ghana Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are worried about the rising spate of impersonation by civilians, either wearing uniforms or posting of fake pictures of themselves as military officers to defraud unsuspecting Ghanaians.’
