An Accra Circuit Court has ordered seven individuals — including a serving soldier — into remand custody over an armed robbery in which a fuel tanker was seized along a major highway.
The accused include Corporal Bernard Bortey of the Ghana Armed Forces Teaching and Doctrine College, along with Mark Abito, Ganiu Abdulai, Atiiga Barnabas, Awini Ibrahim, Muniru Ayibo, and Shaibu Adams. Two other suspects remain on the run. They face charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, and abetment, with the next hearing slated for August 25, 2025.
The prosecution alleges that on the night of August 6, 2025, the gang followed a Petroland Limited tanker from Tema towards Kumasi. At Pampaso Number One, the group intercepted the vehicle, allegedly holding the driver and his assistant at gunpoint before forcing them out and restraining them. The victims were then moved into a green pickup truck while the tanker was driven away.
By the following day, police at a checkpoint in Ablekuma intercepted the pickup after the victims raised an alarm, leading to the arrest of Bortey, who was reportedly still in uniform. Further operations led officers to Bunso Junction, where other suspects were in the process of transferring the stolen diesel into another tanker. Both vehicles were seized.
Investigations suggest the heist was carefully coordinated, with the group splitting into two teams to track and intercept the tanker. Several suspects remain at large, while the court has ordered the stolen vehicle and its fuel to be returned to its owners for safety reasons.
