Court orders police to file disclosures in Labone robbery case

An Accra Circuit Court has mandated the Police to submit disclosures in the case concerning Augustine Okechuku Maazi, who faces eight counts of conspiracy to commit crime including robbery and attempted robbery. Maazi, an unemployed Nigerian, pleaded not guilty during his court appearance. The court has ordered him to remain in custody until September 16, 2026, for further proceedings.

Prosecutors informed the court that investigations are ongoing to capture Maazi’s alleged accomplices, who are currently at large. They argued against bail, citing Maazi's lack of a permanent address and his residency in a hotel. The court heard that investigations linked Maazi and five suspects to a series of robberies between May and August 13, 2026, in Tema, Spintex, and Labone.

The group allegedly expanded their operations into neighboring Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. Two of Maazi's accomplices were killed during a police operation on August 13, 2026, during an alleged robbery attempt at Labone banks. The Office of the Special Operations Assistant to the Inspector-General of Police (SOA-IGP) had received numerous complaints from bank customers about alleged robberies by armed syndicates.

Subsequently, a police surveillance team was deployed to monitor the activities of the suspected gang at various banks in the Greater Accra and Tema metropolitan areas. The prosecution stated that police intercepted suspects traveling in a black Hyundai Tucson and an ash-colored Toyota Highlander near Labone on August 13, 2026, leading to a shootout that resulted in the deaths of two accomplices and the collision of their vehicles with several others.

The prosecution also revealed that the suspects allegedly obtained foreign registration plates for their vehicles after bringing them from Nigeria before using them in their operations across Ghana and neighboring countries.