The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, has announced the arrest of seven suspects in connection with a highway robbery attack on a member of the Council of State.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, 29 January, COP Donkor said the briefing focused on “two major success stories” achieved by the Ghana Police Service through intelligence-led operations.

“The police have arrested seven suspects in a highway robbery involving a Council of State member, which occurred sometime last year,” she stated.

The suspects were identified as Rashida Yussif, Aaron Abana Baswi Fanga, Wilson Avasong, Muntaro Idrisu, also known as Virgin, Aminu Zebrilla, also known as Bedman, Inusa Sumaila, also known as Agenda, and Haruna Safiano.

According to the CID boss, the robbery took place on July 21, 2025, along the Tamale–Buipe Highway. The victim was attacked by six armed men who robbed him of several personal items.

Even though COP Donkor did not disclose the identity of the victim, earlier reports suggested that Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, the Chiana-Pio and Upper East Region’s representative on the Council of State, was ambushed by a group of armed men on Sunday, July 20, near Mile 40 on the Buipe–Tamale highway in the Savannah Region.

“He was robbed of mobile phones, some cash, wristwatches, reading glasses, a laptop and other items,” she said.

Read also: Council of State member escapes highway robbery as gunmen steal cash and rifle

She explained that on 11 January 2026, following intelligence gathered by the CID, a team from the Anti-Robbery Unit was deployed to Salaga in the Savannah Region. This led to the arrest of Rashida Yussif, who was found with an iPhone 7 Plus belonging to one of the victims.

“The phone was retrieved,” she confirmed.

Further investigations led police to a mobile phone shop at Dagomba Line in Salaga, where the shop attendant, Aaron Abana Baswi Fanga, was arrested. He told police that the phone had been brought to the shop by his uncle, Wilson Avasong, an environmental officer and owner of the shop who lives in Tamale.

Wilson Avasong was later arrested in Tamale. During interrogation, he said he bought the phone from a phone repairer, Muntaro Idrisu, for GH₵1,000.

Police subsequently arrested Muntaro Idrisu at the Aboabo Market in Tamale. He then led officers to Aminu Zebrilla, also known as Bedman, a 35-year-old motorbike rider, at Dungu, a suburb of Tamale.

“Aminu Zebrilla admitted selling the phone to Muntaro Idrisu for GH₵650,” COP Donkor said.

She said a search carried out in the room of Aminu Zebrilla uncovered a large number of weapons and items believed to be linked to the robbery.

"A search conducted in the room of suspect Amin Uzebilla resulted in the retrieval of several items, including a locally manufactured shotgun, one locally manufactured pistol, four live BB cartridges, one locally manufactured sword with the inscription Bedman, one live 5.56 x 44 CZ ammunition, two live revolver ammunition, one face mask, one jack knife, a quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, one talisman, one cutter, one catapult, 15 assorted mobile phones, one jungle motorbike, 17 assorted race watches, five pen drives, one telecell SIM card, and three MTN cards which were removed from the phones that were snatched from victims during the robbery."

Police investigations also revealed that Aminu Zebrilla is an ex-convict who was jailed for robbery in 2012.

"Further investigations revealed that Aminu Zebrilla is an ex-convict who was convicted of robbery in 2012. Two other accomplices in Inusa Sumaila, also known as Agenda age 42, and Haruna Safiano age 32 were both subsequently arrested from their hideout behind the Tamale China Mall," she said.

She added that police operations have not ended, adding that investigations are continuing as officers work to track down the remaining suspects and recover a weapon believed to be in their possession.

"Police investigations are ongoing to apprehend other suspects believed to be on the run and to retrieve a weapon believed to be in their possession," she said.