Ashanti South police kill two suspects in shootout linked to Council of State convoy attack
Police in the Ashanti South Region say they have dismantled a suspected highway robbery network linked to a series of violent attacks, including a high-profile assault on the convoy of a traditional leader and Council of State member.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, the Ashanti South Regional Police Commander DCOP Joseph Hammond Nyaaba said two key suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led operation spanning the Ashanti, Northern and Upper East regions between 25 and 26 April.
The suspects – identified as Sumaila Munkaila, also known as Guda, and Umaro Musah – were tracked to Tamale, where they were apprehended following surveillance.
Police said Munkaila confessed to participating in multiple roadblock robberies, including a July 2025 attack on the convoy of Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam, the Chiana-Pio, a traditional ruler who also serves on the Council of State.
Authorities linked the group to recent armed robberies along the Buipe-Tamale and Yizesi-Fumbisi highways, key transport corridors in northern Ghana.
According to police, the suspects later led officers to a bush near Yizesi, where weapons used in the robberies had been buried. During the retrieval operation, officers came under fire from unidentified gunmen.
“In the course of the exchange, the suspects attempted to escape,” the police commander said. “They were shot and later pronounced dead at the Tamale Government Hospital.”
Recovered items included a pump-action shotgun with ammunition, a single-barrel gun and four jackets believed to have been used during the attacks.
Police said efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the network, identified as Tongude, Sumaila and Berra.
The Command described the operation as a significant step in curbing highway crime, which has increasingly targeted travellers and high-profile figures.
