Police officers on routine patrol operations in the Wa West District have arrested three suspects for openly holding firearms and ammunition without authority.  

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Francis Yiribaare, the Upper West Regional Police Commander, in a brief, said the arrests were made on Monday, February 3, 2026. 

It gave their names as Yahaya Samad, 27, Adams Alhassan, 37 and Yiritang Boosi, 35. 

During the patrol, the police team sighted a group of about five men at Goziri, a community near Vieri, each armed with a single-barreled gun and a cutlass, thereby posing a potential threat to public safety, the brief said.  

 “Upon noticing the approaching police patrol vehicle, the suspects attempted to flee the scene. However, through swift and professional action, the patrol team pursued and successfully arrested three of the suspects, it said. 

A search conducted on them at the scene led to the retrieval of three single-barrel guns, three cutlasses and 23 cartridges.  

The suspects were conveyed to the police station, where they confessed to having no licences for the guns and ammunition.  

They had since been remanded by the Wa Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr Simon Kofi Bediako, to reappear on February 18, 2026, whilst efforts were also intensified to apprehend the remaining suspects who escaped to face the law.  

The Upper West Regional Police Command commends the vigilance and  

professionalism of the patrol team and wishes to caution the public, particularly individuals with firearms without a licence, to immediately regularise them or face decisive action from the Police. 

It reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining the peace and security for communities across the region and called for public support and collaboration.