Police in the Upper East Region have shot dead two suspected armed robbers who led them to a hidden weapons cache, only for unknown gunmen to ambush the operation from nearby bushes.
It began on April 25, when police arrested 37-year-old Sumaila Munkaila, alias Guda, in Tamale.
He was wanted for a series of roadblock robberies, including an attack on a traditional leader’s convoy last July.
Munkaila confessed and led officers to arrest Umaro Musah in Savelugu that same night.
Both suspects then guided police to a bush near Yizesi, close to Fumbisi, where they said they had buried their weapons after a recent robbery.
But as officers began searching on April 26, shots rang out from unknown persons hiding in the bush. The suspects tried to escape. Police returned fire in self-defence.
Both Munkaila and Musah were hit.
They were rushed to Tamale Government Hospital but pronounced dead on arrival. One officer also sustained minor injuries.
Despite the chaos, police recovered a buried arsenal: an AK-47, a CZ805 assault rifle, a pump-action gun, a single-barrel gun, and over 80 rounds of ammunition.
Four jackets used in the robberies were also found.
A fourth suspect, believed to be wounded, escaped. Police say investigations are ongoing.
