A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 armed robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.

The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on February 16, 2026, after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery, contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and was accordingly handed the 25 year custodial sentence.

The case stems from an incident on March 20, 2022, when the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate.

Acting swiftly on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.

At about 5:30pm that same day, four armed men reportedly stormed the mining site, fired indiscriminately, and made away with gold concentrate belonging to the miners.

Police officers who were on surveillance intervened, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the suspects and the security team.

Three of the suspects Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi sustained gunshot wounds during the shootout. They were later pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum.

Dominic Ofori, however, managed to escape at the time. He remained on the run until his arrest earlier this year, after which he was put before the court and convicted on his own plea.

The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crime in mining communities and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.

The sentencing comes amid ongoing concerns about armed robberies and violent attacks linked to mining activities in parts of the Ashanti Region, a challenge security agencies say they remain determined to address.