A suspected notorious armed robber has been shot dead by police at Atebubu in the Bono East Region. The deceased has been identified as Mahamadu Gariba Kirror, who police say was the leader of a six-member robbery gang responsible for a deadly attack on a minibus in the Atebubu area in January 2025.
According to police, the gang shot and killed the driver of the minibus and robbed passengers of their belongings during the incident.
Gariba was arrested on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at about 10:30 a.m., following actionable intelligence. After an initial interrogation, he reportedly agreed to assist police in arresting the remaining members of his gang.
However, a police situational report (SITREP) indicated that while leading officers to the hideout of his accomplices on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at about 7:45 p.m., the suspect attempted to escape.
The report stated that as the police team approached the location, Gariba suggested using a footpath leading to the hideout. He then suddenly bolted in an attempt to flee into a nearby forest. Police fired warning shots aimed at incapacitating him, during which he sustained gunshot injuries. He was rushed to the Atebubu Government Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival by the medical officer on duty.
A search conducted on the suspect revealed several items, including a locally manufactured pistol, two live BB cartridges, a Samsung Galaxy A07 mobile phone, two keypad mobile phones, and a talisman.
Further investigations established that the Samsung Galaxy A07 belonged to Nafisa Owusu Haruna, a resident of Yeji and a victim of a robbery allegedly carried out by the suspect in December 2025 along the Atebubu–Yeji highway.
Police said that during that robbery, the driver of a minibus with registration number AS-6444-14, which was conveying passengers along the stretch, was shot and killed. On interrogation, Gariba allegedly admitted that he and his accomplices shot and killed the driver and robbed the passengers.
The suspect reportedly named Umaru, Issifu, Furgur, Ibrahim, Shaibu, and Yelow as members of the gang. Police say efforts are ongoing to locate and arrest the remaining suspects.
