A Nigerian, Augustine Okechuku Maazi, on Monday, August 17, appeared before the Accra Circuit Court 8 in Ghana over an alleged plot to rob three banks in the Labone area of Accra.
Maazi was arrested on Thursday, August 13, after Ghanaian police reportedly foiled the alleged robbery operation. Two other suspects were k!lled in a shootout with the police, while another suspect reportedly escaped.
The development has, however, raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the incident, after GCB Bank denied that its Labone branch was attacked or targeted in an attempted robbery.
The Ghana Police Service said it received intelligence at about 10:45 a.m. on August 13 that a gang was preparing to attack GCB Bank, Ecobank and Zenith Bank, all located in the Labone area.
According to the police, officers deployed to the area spotted suspected gang members in vehicles parked near the banks.
The police said one of the vehicles sped off after its occupants sighted the officers, leading to a chase during which Maazi was arrested, while another occupant escaped.
It added that occupants of a second vehicle also attempted to flee while firing at the officers, resulting in a shootout in which two suspects were killed.
The police said two vehicles were recovered from the suspects, a Toyota Highlander with registration number GS-1434-18 and a Hyundai Tucson with registration number GS 7915-17 along with a blow pistol.
However, GCB Bank subsequently denied that its Labone branch had been attacked or that any attempted robbery had occurred on its premises.
The bank said no robbery or attempted robbery took place at the branch, adding that the facility was never breached and that no customer, staff members, funds, or property wa attacked.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the precise nature of the incident and whether the suspects were actually preparing to rob the banks as alleged by the police.
Further questions emerged after checks showed that the Toyota Highlander identified by the police had previously been listed by Ghanaian authorities as having been impounded in 2019, raising questions about the vehicle’s history and the police account.
The controversy has also prompted the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana to intervene. The President of All Nigerian Communities in Ghana was sent to Ghana Police Headquarters to seek clarification over Maazi’s arrest and the deaths of the two other suspects.