BOLGATANGA — A high-stakes police intelligence operation in the Upper East Region has culminated in a bloody shootout deep within the Tilly Forest, leaving three suspected armed robbers dead and two police officers injured.
The operation marks a major breakthrough for the Upper East Regional Police Command, which has successfully dismantled a ruthless syndicate terrorizing commuters and traders across Benaba, Binduri, Pusiga, Garu, Zebilla, and surrounding enclaves. The gang had earned local notoriety for a relentless wave of violent highway stick-ups targeting motorbike riders and mobile money vendors.
According to police sources, the crackdown intensified following the earlier arrests of six alleged members of the syndicate, who are currently in custody aiding ongoing investigations.
Fatal Forest Ambush
The turning point came when three key suspects—identified as Amadu Apiiga, 33; Philip Vokbilla; and Bilal Adabode, alias Sulley—offered to lead a heavily armed police detachment to an isolated cache deep inside the Tilly Forest where their arsenal was allegedly concealed.
However, upon arrival at the designated hideout, the tactical team was met with unexpected hostility. Hidden accomplices opened fire on the security personnel from surrounding cover, sparking a fierce exchange of gunfire.
During the ensuing firefight, Apiiga, Vokbilla, and Adabode sustained critical gunshot wounds. Two police officers were also wounded in the crossfire. The injured officers and suspects were immediately rushed for emergency medical care, but the three suspects were pronounced dead on arrival. The injured law enforcement officers are responding to treatment. Several other cohorts believed to have suffered gunshot injuries managed to escape into the dense foliage.
Link to Officer’s Murder
Investigators have tied the neutralized syndicate to a devastating security incident earlier this year: the February 8, 2026, armed robbery along the Zebilla–Widnaba road that claimed the life of a police officer. That ambush, which occurred at roughly 8:00 PM, saw armed bandits open fire on officers returning from operational duty, sending shockwaves through the region’s security architecture.
Massive Arsenal Recovered
A thorough sweep of the forest hideout yielded a substantial cache of illicit weapons and logistics used in the syndicate’s crime wave. Recovered items include:
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- Two locally manufactured single-barrel guns
- Two pistols, featuring a BRUNI 92 pistol loaded with eleven 9mm rounds of ammunition
- Eighteen live BB cartridges
- Three sharp cutlasses
- Four unregistered Yamaha Aerox scooters
- A pair of black boots and a motorbike number plate
- Two mobile phones
Police Appeal
The Regional Police Command has ramped up intelligence-led manhunts to track down the remaining fugitive members and unearth the primary source of the gang’s illegal arms.
Authorities have issued a strict public appeal, urging local medical facilities, herbalists, and residents across the region to immediately report any individuals seeking treatment for unexplained gunshot wounds to the nearest police station.
