Three suspects were shot dead and two police officers injured during a follow‑up operation by the Upper East Regional Police Command to retrieve weapons allegedly concealed by a robbery gang in the Tilly Forest.
The operation followed the dismantling of a suspected robbery gang that had targeted motorbike riders and mobile money vendors in Benaba, Binduri, Pusiga, Garu, Zebilla and surrounding communities.
Investigators said the suspects led the police to a site in the forest where they claimed firearms belonging to the gang were hidden. Upon arrival, the police team came under gunfire, wounding three suspects who were part of the operation.
The injured suspects were identified as Amadu Apiiga, 33; Philip Vokbilla, 20; and Bilal Adabode, alias Sulley, who allegedly led the police to the location. They were transported to a hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. Other individuals believed to have sustained gunshot wounds fled the scene.
Two police officers were also injured and are currently receiving medical attention. The police recovered a number of weapons and items believed to be connected to the gang’s activities, including two locally manufactured single‑barrel guns, two pistols (one a BRUNI 92), eleven rounds of 9mm ammunition, eighteen BB live cartridges, three sharp cutlasses, four unregistered Yamaha Aerox scooters, a pair of black boots, one motorbike number plate and two mobile phones.
The suspects had been linked to the killing of a police officer during a robbery attack at Zebilla on 8 February 2026. Six other members of the suspected gang, who were earlier arrested, remain in custody and are assisting with investigations.
The police are continuing efforts to identify and arrest other suspected members of the group and establish the source of the weapons retrieved. They have appealed to the public to report anyone found with suspected gunshot wounds to the nearest police station or to provide relevant information to assist investigators.
Ongoing investigations aim to uncover the full extent of the gang’s activities and bring other persons connected to the alleged robberies to justice.
