Four suspected armed robbers have been killed after police foiled an attempted robbery at Afienya-Mataheko in the Tema Metropolis, the Tema Regional Police Command has confirmed.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, 30 December 2025, the Head of Public Affairs for the Tema Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dede Dzakpasu, said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to dismantle a notorious robbery gang believed to have been operating in Tema and surrounding communities for several years.
According to ASP Dzakpasu, the gang is estimated to have about 15 members, many of whom are ex-convicts, and has been linked to a series of violent robberies across the metropolis.
She said police received intelligence on 27 December that members of the group were planning fresh robbery attacks within the area. Acting on the information, officers were deployed to strategic locations and placed on surveillance.
“In the early hours of Monday, 29 December, at about 1:00am, police officers on patrol spotted four suspects attempting to forcibly enter a residential property at Afienya-Mataheko,” ASP Dzakpasu told journalists.
She said the suspects opened fire when they realised they had been detected, prompting an exchange of gunfire with the police.
Three of the suspects — identified as Kwabena Azuwebi, also known as Lastman, Yaro Bawku, and Faisal — sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the Police Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
The fourth suspect, identified as Kassim Hussein, initially escaped despite being injured. He was later arrested and taken for medical treatment but subsequently died from his injuries, police said.
ASP Dzakpasu noted that all four suspects were well known to the police and had been on the wanted list for their alleged involvement in multiple robbery cases within the region.
“It must be noted that the deceased suspects, Kwabena Azuwebi alias Lastman, Yaro Bawku, Faisal and Kassim Hussein, have all been involved in a series of robberies within the region,” she said.
She added that Kwabena Azuwebi had recently been granted bail in an ongoing robbery case after spending a long period on remand.
During the operation, police recovered an AK-47 rifle, a Taurus pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition, two cutlasses and two Royal motorbikes. One of the motorbikes was unregistered, while the other bore registration number M-25-GT-4243. The items are believed to have been used by the suspects in their criminal activities.
ASP Dzakpasu said all exhibits had been secured and would be used to support ongoing investigations.
The bodies of the deceased suspects have been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary, where autopsies are expected to be conducted in line with standard procedures.
Police say investigations are continuing to identify and arrest other members of the gang, as well as to establish possible links between the suspects and other criminal activities in the region.
The Tema Regional Police Command has assured residents that it remains committed to maintaining peace and security, and urged the public to continue cooperating with law enforcement by providing timely and credible information.
Several senior police officers were present at the briefing, including the Tema Metro Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Ferdinand Amengor; the Tema Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Kwasi Kwarteng; the Tema Community One District Commander, Chief Superintendent Isaac Forson; and other district and unit commanders within the metropolis.
Police have reiterated their call for calm, stressing that security operations will be intensified to curb violent crime and protect lives and property across Tema and its environs.