Wassa Amenfi: Two jailed 15 years each for attempted highway robbery

Two unemployed men who plotted to rob commuters along the Asankra Saah–Asankragwa road in the Western Region have each been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor by the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

Mohammed Abdul Salam, 28, and Karim Yakubu, 42, both from northern Ghana, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, preparation to commit a crime, and unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Samuel Ahiabor, the pair had initially claimed they came to Asankra Saah to search for gold but later admitted they turned to armed robbery instead.

On April 14, 2025, they armed themselves with a locally manufactured shotgun and live AAA cartridges, hiding under a tree near the bushy road in anticipation of ambushing travelers.

However, in the early hours of April 15, during a routine patrol, officers from the Asankragwa Divisional Police Command spotted the duo sitting suspiciously on a stump in the bush. When the officers approached, Salam and Yakubu tried to flee but ended up stuck in a mud-filled abandoned mining pit.

They were quickly apprehended. A search revealed a shotgun loaded with a live cartridge on Salam, while Yakubu had two additional cartridges and a mobile phone in his pocket.

Investigations confirmed that Salam had supplied the weapon and ammunition used in the foiled robbery attempt.