A 30-year-old man has been handed a 25-year prison sentence with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 armed robbery at a mining site in Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, popularly known as Fanta, was arrested on February 16, 2026, after reportedly evading capture for several years. He pleaded guilty to robbery under Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) when he appeared before the Bekwai Circuit Court. The court subsequently sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
The case dates back to March 20, 2022, when police in Manso Adubia received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso. The target, according to investigators, was the site owner, who was believed to be in possession of gold concentrate.
Further details about the robbery and the involvement of others, if any, were not immediately disclosed in court.
Acting swiftly on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30pm that same day, four armed men reportedly stormed the mining site, fired indiscriminately, and made away with gold concentrate belonging to the miners.
Police officers who were on surveillance intervened, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the suspects and the security team.
Three of the suspects Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi sustained gunshot wounds during the shootout. They were later pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum.
Dominic Ofori, however, managed to escape at the time. He remained on the run until his arrest earlier this year, after which he was put before the court and convicted on his own plea.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crime in mining communities and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.
The sentencing comes amid ongoing concerns about armed robberies and violent attacks linked to mining activities in parts of the Ashanti Region, a challenge security agencies say they remain determined to address.