Bolt driver jailed for 25 years over Adenta robbery of a beautician

Pinned summary · as of 02:30

A 22-year-old motor mechanic who also drives for Bolt has been sentenced to 25 years of hard labour by a circuit court in Adenta for robbing a beautician. Emmanuel Kofi Mensah pleaded guilty and was convicted on that plea. The prosecution told the court the robbery happened at Mantey Farms in Adenta on 23 September 2026, after the woman hired his ride from Madina Zongo Junction.

What we know

• An Adenta circuit court sent Emmanuel Kofi Mensah, 22, who works as a mechanic and drives for Bolt, to 25 years of hard labour for robbery. He had pleaded guilty.
• Prosecutors told the court that the woman, a beautician, booked his Bolt service from Madina Zongo Junction to Adenta on 23 September 2026. They said he drove beyond her stop, halted at Mantey Farms and demanded her belongings.
• According to the prosecution, he attacked the woman with a cutlass when she resisted, wounding her wrist and little finger, and took a bag holding two iPhones, GH₵3,200 in cash and other items.
• He was arrested the following day after trying to sell one of the phones at an Apple shop at Madina Zongo Junction, and a cutlass said to have been used in the attack was recovered.
• The court heard that in a statement given under caution he owned up to the offence and asked to be forgiven.
• Police are still working to identify and arrest another man alleged to have taken part.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Citi Newsroom reported, citing the prosecution, that the two phones were an iPhone 17 Pro Max worth GH₵18,000 and an iPhone 12 worth GH₵3,500. The values have not been confirmed by other reports.
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  According to Citi Newsroom, the accomplice arrived on a motorbike and the two men chased the woman, who fled into nearby bush and spent the night at a house until the landlord told the police the next morning. Other reports do not give these details.
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  Citi Newsroom said the woman was treated at Pantang Government Hospital for a deep wound and bruises, and that a tablet and a mini-laptop thought to be stolen were found in a backpack she had taken from the car.
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  Citi Newsroom reported that the court was told Mr Mensah claimed the vehicle belonged to a Nigerian friend whom he could not identify. This has not been confirmed by other reports.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ride-hailing is a daily way of getting around Accra and its suburbs, including late at night, and passengers rely on drivers to take them where they asked to go. The case shows a heavy sentence for a robbery involving a ride-hailing vehicle, and the search for the second suspect means the matter is not yet closed.