Police officer allegedly kills 51-year-old pillion rider over GHC10 at Gbintiri checkpoint
The North East Regional Police Command has launched an investigation into a shooting incident involving a Police officer and a pillion rider at a Police checkpoint at Gbintiri in the East Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region.
According to reports, two civilians were travelling from Gaboni in the Northern Region to the Gbintiri market when they encountered the police.
A 51-year-old man, Mawutor Banakar, was shot dead by a police officer at the checkpoint.
The incident happened on Wednesday (5 November 2025).
Reports indicate that the police officers at the checkpoint requested the civilians to pay GHC10 before proceeding, but the civilians questioned the practice, citing the poor state of the road. A verbal altercation ensued between the police officer and the pillion rider, culminating in the shooting incident.
However, the North East Regional Public Affairs Unit, led by DSP Robert Anabiik Anmain, issued a statement providing a different account of the events. According to the statement, “preliminary investigation indicates that the police officers were on duty at a checkpoint when two men on a motorbike arrived and when they wanted to search them, the pillion rider, Mawutor Banakar, aged 51yrs, now deceased, suddenly became furious and held the weapon of one of the police officers in an attempt to snatch it from him.”
The statement further revealed that “a struggle ensued between the Police officer and the pillion rider and in the process, the weapon of the police officer went off and hit the upper arm of the pillion rider and injured him while the police officer sustained bruises on his body with his uniform torn.”
The statement added, “The pillion rider was quickly rushed to hospital for treatment by the police officers, but he died shortly on arrival at the hospital.”
According to the police, the officer involved in the case is currently in police custody, assisting with the investigation. The Police are appealing to the people of Gbintiri to remain calm and assist them with valuable information for the investigation
Reporting by Dokurugu Alhassan for Asaase News from the North East Region
