COP Lydia Yaako Donkor,
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested seven suspects in connection with a highway robbery involving a member of the Council of State, which occurred last year.
Addressing the media on Thursday, 29 January, the Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the arrests followed sustained intelligence-led investigations by the Police Anti-Armed Robbery Unit.
The suspects have been identified as Washeeda Yousif, Aaron Abana Baswifanga, Wilson Avassong, Montaro Iddrisu alias Virgin, Aminu Zebrilla alias Birdman, Inusah Sumaila alias Agenda, and Haruna Safiano.
According to the CID, the robbery occurred on 21 July 2025 when the victim was travelling along the Tamale–Buipe Highway and was attacked by six armed men. The attackers made away with several personal items, including mobile phones, cash, wristwatches, reading glasses, a laptop and other valuables.
COP Donkor said that on 11 January 2026, following intelligence gathering, a police team was deployed to Salaga in the Savannah Region, leading to the arrest of Washeeda Yousif, who was found in possession of an iPhone 7 Plus belonging to one of the victims. The phone was retrieved.
Further investigations led officers to a mobile phone shop at Dagomba Line in Salaga, where the shop attendant, Aaron Abana Baswifanga, was arrested. He told police that the phone had been brought to the shop by his uncle, Wilson Avassong, an environmental officer and owner of the shop who resides in Tamale. Wilson Avassong was subsequently arrested in Tamale.
During interrogation, Wilson Avassong told police he had purchased the phone from a phone repairer, Montaro Idrisu, also known as Virgin, for GH¢1,000. Montaro Idrisu was later arrested at the Tamale Abu Abu Market and led police to Aminu Zebrila, also known as Birdman, a 35-year-old Okada rider living at Dungu, a suburb of Tamale.
Police said Aminu Zebrila admitted selling the phone for GH¢650. A search conducted in his room led to the retrieval of several items, including a locally manufactured shotgun and pistol, live ammunition, a locally manufactured sword, face masks, knives, suspected Indian hemp, wristwatches, multiple mobile phones, pen drives, SIM cards and a motorbike believed to have been used in robbery operations.
