Bono Regional police arrest eight foreign nationals for illegal gold operations
The suspects — identified as Sayuba Ziba, Kienu Dobou, Osman Tunabu, Nana Alhassan, Wadrago Abdulai, Aliu Sali, Ibrahim Wulba, and Alhassan Imoro — are reported to be citizens of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Gambia.
The Bono Regional Police Command has arrested eight foreign nationals for allegedly engaging in illegal gold exploration and trading without authorisation at Wewe, a community near Banda in the Bono Region.
The suspects — identified as Sayuba Ziba, Kienu Dobou, Osman Tunabu, Nana Alhassan, Wadrago Abdulai, Aliu Sali, Ibrahim Wulba, and Alhassan Imoro — are reported to be citizens of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Gambia.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 3, 2025, the Police Command said the arrests followed days of surveillance and intelligence-gathering on the group’s activities. The suspects were apprehended on Thursday, October 2, while allegedly conducting illegal mining and gold trading operations in the area.
During the raid, officers seized GH¢23,450 in cash, raw gold, gold dust, mercury, and a lighter believed to have been used in gold processing. The recovered items have been sent for forensic examination.
Chief Inspector Thomas Akeelah, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed that the suspects remain in custody and are assisting investigators. He added that preparations are underway to arraign them before court.
Chief Inspector Akeelah reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intensifying enforcement efforts against unauthorised mining and related activities in the Bono Region.
