In an intelligence operation on March 27, 2023, the Ghana Police Service arrested three suspects for possession of firearms without lawful authority and acts of vigilantism at Japa near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region.
The suspects were identified as Godfred Appiah alias Nana Kobina Gyan, Isaac Amoako alias Nana Owusu and Theophilus Yeboah alias Fire. The arrests followed an investigation into a viral video on social media in which one person was seen shooting at another and threatening violence.
According to the police, Godfred Appiah was the prime suspect, as he was seen in the video firing the weapon. Further investigation led to the arrest of suspects Theophilus Yeboah and Isaac Amoako, who was identified as the owner and supplier of the said weapon.
A search conducted at the residence of Isaac Amoako led to the retrieval of four pump-action shotguns, including twenty-four AAA-refilled cartridges. However, Amoako could not produce documents to cover three of the weapons.
The suspects were put before the Tarkwa Circuit Court on Wednesday, March, 2023, and have been remanded into custody to reappear on April 6, 2023. Efforts are currently underway to get other accomplices in connection with the case arrested to face justice.
This development has been welcomed by residents of the area who have long been concerned about the proliferation of weapons and acts of vigilantism in the community. The police have urged the public to continue to provide them with information that could lead to the arrest of other suspects and the recovery of illegal weapons.
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