The Ghana Police Service has arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a police officer in a brazen attack on the Bolgatanga-Tamale Highway late last year.
The suspect, Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu, also known as Baaluuse, was apprehended on Monday at his hideout in Polego, a suburb of Bolgatanga.
He is the primary suspect in the December 28, 2025, attack on a police checkpoint at Karimenga, which resulted in the death of General Constable Seth Oppong Damoah.
According to a police report, the operation was a coordinated effort between personnel from the National Police Intelligence Directorate (NPID) in Accra and their counterparts in the Upper East Region.
The attack on the night of December 28 left two other officers, G/Cpl. Nyanku Charles and G/Cpl. Abu Moro, with gunshot wounds.
The incident occurred after gunmen initially attacked a bus on the highway. Police officers responded to a distress call and foiled the first assault, but the attackers retreated into the bush only to return and launch a second, more deadly attack on the police barrier.
Iddrisu and his accomplices, who remain at large, have been on the police wanted list since the incident.
Preliminary investigations into the suspect’s background have uncovered links to the protracted Bawku chieftaincy conflict. Police sources describe Iddrisu as a “warrior” for one of the feuding factions.
A search of three mobile phones retrieved from the suspect has provided investigators with significant leads.
Police reports indicate the phones contain evidence suggesting Iddrisu and other fugitives have been actively involved in the Bawku conflict and are responsible for multiple killings.
“The suspect was seen in a video displaying several AK-47 assault rifles in a sack and pistols at a location believed to be in Bawku,” the police report stated.
Furthermore, an audio message was recovered in which the suspect allegedly requested more arms and ammunition to enable the Mamprusi faction to defeat the Kusaasis in the ongoing conflict.
Investigators also revealed that Iddrisu is a member of a WhatsApp group called “Trusted Friends,” which uses the profile picture of Alhaji Seidu Abagri, a rival chief in the Bawku chieftaincy dispute.
The group is described as being predominantly patronised by Moshies and Mamprusis.
“Information available also indicates that the suspect and one Mark, who is at large, are behind the importation of weapons and ammunition to Bawku,” the police report added.
Following the December 28 attack, the suspect fled and went into hiding. Authorities confirmed that the breakthrough in the case came after weeks of intelligence gathering, which led them to his hideout in Bolgatanga.
The arrest brings a significant development to a case that led to a temporary security withdrawal along the Karimenga stretch of the highway late last year.
The suspect is currently in police custody and is assisting with further investigations as authorities intensify the manhunt for his remaining accomplices.
