Five men who disguised themselves as National Security operatives to raid a mining site in the Western North Region have been arrested by police after residents tracked their movements and alerted authorities, police announced on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
At a press conference at the regional police headquarters in Sefwi-Wiawso, Western North Regional Commander Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Dr Francis Kwame Tsidi said the suspects were picked up on April 2, 2026, at around 6:00 p.m. following intelligence reports from the public.
The suspects, identified as Amponsah Asare Wagan, 33; Nelson Agbodzah, 28; Awedagah Norbert, 27; Francis Brefo, 35; and Benjamin Boakye, 48, had been moving through communities around Suiaboi, including mining sites, dressed in National Security attire and demanding documentation from miners while seizing items under the pretence of official duties. Their conduct aroused suspicion among residents, some of whom confronted the group directly while others trailed them to Dadieso, where police intercepted and arrested them. Benjamin Boakye was the driver of a Toyota Hilux vehicle with registration number GX 1095-19, which had been rented from Kumasi-based car hire company LEASAFRIC.
During interrogation, the suspects offered a series of unverifiable claims about their identities. Amponsah Asare Wagan presented himself as a medical doctor, a son of a security capo and a branch communicator of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Kwadaso. Nelson Agbodzah and Awedagah Norbert claimed links to National Security operations at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) office at Nhyeaso, while Francis Brefo identified himself as a National Security operative. Preliminary investigations have since debunked those claims, with police confirming that at least Amponsah Asare Wagan and Francis Brefo are unemployed with no connection to any security agency.
Police say the operation was premeditated. Amponsah Asare Wagan is alleged to have assembled the group in Kumasi under the guise of an intelligence-gathering exercise at Bibiani, before redirecting them to the mining site at Suiaboi. Once there, the suspects damaged mining equipment, ransacked workers’ rooms and stole five mobile phones and GH¢2,000. A search of their vehicle uncovered two car batteries, three water pumping machines, a starter, a hose, a metal object believed to be part of an excavator, a bunch of keys, a live AA cartridge and a pair of military camouflage trousers.
Wagan has reportedly confessed to masterminding the operation, claiming he was contracted by a former employee of the mining site, identified only as Yaw, who allegedly wanted to expose the activities of his former employer. Police have obtained documentation from the car rental company to support their investigations.
The suspects are in custody and are expected to be arraigned before court upon the conclusion of investigations. DCOP Dr Tsidi urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
