Police in the Upper East Region said three suspected members of a robbery gang were killed during a gunfire exchange in the Tilly Forest on Saturday, September 19. The gang, linked to a string of attacks on motorbike riders and mobile money vendors in Benaba, Binduri, Pusiga, Garu, Zebilla and nearby communities, had been operating across the region.
Investigators, accompanied by suspects already in custody, went to a site in the forest where the gang had indicated firearms were hidden. The team was fired upon, and the three suspects – 33‑year‑old Amadu Apiiga, Philip Vokbilla and Bilal Adabode, alias Sulley – were injured and taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
Other individuals believed to have sustained gunshot wounds fled the scene, while two police officers were also injured and are receiving medical treatment. The operation recovered several weapons and items allegedly connected to the gang’s activities, including two locally manufactured single‑barrel guns, two pistols (one a BRUNI 92), 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 18 BB live cartridges, three sharp cutlasses, four unregistered Yamaha Aerox scooters, a pair of black boots, a motorbike number plate and two mobile phones.
The gang has also been linked to the killing of a police officer during a robbery at Zebilla on February 8, 2026. Six other members arrested earlier remain in custody and are assisting with investigations. Police are continuing to identify and arrest other members who remain at large and are tracing the source of the recovered weapons.
The command has appealed to the public to report anyone found with suspected gunshot wounds to the nearest police station, as some injured persons fled the scene. Information from the public will aid efforts to locate remaining suspects and advance the investigation into the robbery attacks.
