The Ghana Police Service has announced the arrest of an ex-convict, Abubakari Sadick and Vincent Gbetorglo, in connection with separate high-profile robbery cases across the country.
The arrests, described as a major breakthrough by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), were confirmed by COP Lydia Donkor, Director-General of CID, at a press briefing in Accra yesterday.
The Police say the arrest of Abubakari Sadick, who previously spent 25 years in prison, has led to the unravelling of a vehicle robbery syndicate that has been operating across multiple regions in Ghana.
According to the CID boss, Sadick and his accomplices posed as members of NGOs or religious organizations to deceive car rental companies into providing vehicles for purported missionary work in the Northern Region.
Midway through the journeys, typically in remote areas, the suspects would overpower the drivers, tie them up and steal the vehicles.
Notable incidents include:11th November 2022; A Toyota Land Cruiser was stolen near Malzeri, close to Yendi, after the driver was tied to a tree.
January 2023: Another Toyota Land Cruiser was stolen under similar pretences. April 2023, A Toyota Vitz was taken and later sold in Bolgatanga.
The Cape Coast High Court had earlier sentenced Sadick in absentia to 25 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for a 2021 robbery in Breman Asikuma.
He had previously been placed on the Police Wanted List, the Immigration Stop List, and was subject to an Interpol Red Notice. He narrowly evaded extradition after escaping custody in Burkina Faso in February 2023.
Sadick was finally apprehended on July 28, 2025 in Accra, through a coordinated operation by the CID’s Anti-Armed Robbery Unit and National Security operatives. He is currently in police custody and assisting with investigations.
Authorities are urging individuals, especially car rental operators and victims of similar vehicle thefts, to report to CID Headquarters with any relevant information.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
Vincent Gbetorglo, the Ex-convict
In the case of Vincent Gbetorglo, a 40-year-old ex-convict, he was arrested in connection with the violent robbery of a taxi driver earlier this year.
On January 1, 2025, taxi driver Vic Martin Obeng was hired by three young men from MadinaZongo Junction to Haatso.
When they got to the ICGC Church area, the suspects attacked him inside a moving vehicle. He was tied up, blindfolded with his shirt and robbed of his mobile phone, daily earnings and GH¢13,000 in mobile money. He was later abandoned near Westland.
Investigators, acting on intelligence, arrested Gbetorglo on July 30, 2025 at the Accra Mall. A search revealed the victim’s stolen mobile phone and three others.
Although Gbetorglo claimed to have purchased the phones at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, he could not assist police in identifying the alleged seller.
Further checks revealed that Gbetorglo was previously convicted by the Cocoa Affairs Court in 2011 and sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment, but was released in 2023 after a successful appeal.
Investigations into the case are ongoing, and police are actively pursuing the remaining suspects involved in the New Year’s Day robbery.
Police Call for Public Assistance
The CID is, meanwhile, appealing to the general public for support in locating accomplices and recovering stolen items.
COP Donkor praised the collaboration between local and international agencies, noting that these arrests signal a “significant step forward” in tackling organized robbery networks in the country.
Members of the public with relevant information are encouraged to contact the CID Headquarters or the nearest police station.
