Tamale police arrest five at Aboabo scrap yard, seize pistols, cannabis and GH₵18,825 in cash

Pinned summary · as of 06:22

Officers of the Northern Regional Police Command detained five men at Aboabo in Tamale on Monday, 21 September 2026, after a raid on a scrap area near the forest. Police say they seized guns, drugs and cash, and the case is now with drug enforcement investigators.

What we know

• The Command's Special Operations team, called RED MARIA, moved on the Aboabo scrap area at about 11:30am on 21 September 2026, following what police described as credible information about drug-related activity.
• The men held are Kwame Boateng (28) and Ibrahim Issahaku (39), together with Mohammed John (28), Mohammed Nawas (25) and Mohammed Osman Awal (41), according to police. Being arrested does not amount to a finding of guilt.
• Police said officers who searched Mr Issahaku's home found GH₵1,880 in cash, one parcel of suspected Indian hemp, and two pistols of foreign make with two 9mm rounds.
• Officers also found GH₵18,825 tucked inside Mr Boateng's motorcycle. Police suspect the money came from selling narcotics, which is a suspicion and not an established fact.
• Police also listed three motorbikes and a haul of suspected drugs: 123 wraps of Indian hemp, 111 wraps of what they termed ashes, 12 sachets of Rohypnol (1mg) and seven sachets of Tramadol (250mg).
• The men and the exhibits both went to the region's drug law enforcement unit, which will take the inquiry forward.
• The Northern Regional Police Command said it will carry on with intelligence-based operations to disrupt drug trafficking and related crime in the region.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Onua Online reported that police allege John Mohamed and Mohamed Nawas use drugs, that Kwame Boateng deals in narcotics, and that Mohamed Osman Awal, described as the owner of the scrap business, allowed drug peddlers to stay on the premises. These are police accusations reported by one source only, have not been tested in court and no response from the men was reported.
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  Two of the five names are spelled differently across reports: Onua Online wrote John Mohamed, Mohamed Nawas and Mohamed Osman Awal, while other reports used Mohammed John, Mohammed Nawas and Mohammed Osman Awal.
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  Rainbow Radio Online quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police Wisdom Lavoe, the Northern Regional Police Commander, as saying the raid was part of ongoing work to clear illicit drug networks from the region and that the service will keep up proactive measures to protect communities. No other report carried his remarks.

Why it matters for Ghana

Firearms alongside narcotics in a residential part of Tamale is a safety concern for people living and trading in Aboabo. Prescription-type drugs such as Tramadol and Rohypnol, which police listed among the seizures, are a known worry for families and health workers in the Northern Region. What happens next depends on the Regional Drug Law Enforcement Unit's investigation and any decision to charge the five men.