- Three Nigerian nationals have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for orchestrating a series of vehicle thefts across Kumasi.
- The convictions, secured through multiple court proceedings, reflect the Ashanti Regional Police Command’s intensified crackdown on organized and transnational crime.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has successfully prosecuted three Nigerian nationals for a string of vehicle thefts targeting parked cars across Kumasi. The suspects—Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze—were arrested on June 20, 2025, following a coordinated operation based on intelligence gathered by law enforcement.
Legal proceedings began on July 22 at the Atasemanso Circuit Court, where Ekenze pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in hard labour. His co-accused, Friday and Agwazie, denied the charges but were found guilty the following day at Circuit Court 3 and sentenced to eight years each, with sentences running concurrently.
On the same day, Circuit Court 1 heard additional charges against all three, resulting in 20-year sentences for each convict. Ekenze faced further charges at Circuit Court 2 on July 24 and received an additional 10-year sentence. All sentences are to run concurrently, and the trio is currently serving time at the Kumasi Central Prison.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command described the convictions as a major win in the fight against organized and transnational crime. Authorities emphasized the importance of public cooperation in reporting suspicious activity and pledged to continue working with the judiciary to ensure offenders face the full weight of the law.
