The Police in the Eastern Region have detained ten individuals and confiscated nine firearms in a series of targeted security operations in the Eastern Region, ahead of a tightly watched parliamentary by-election in the town of Akwatia.
The Eastern South Regional Police Command confirmed that law enforcement teams conducted coordinated snap checks and surveillance-led raids between August 22 and 23, aimed at intercepting illegal firearms and preempting potential unrest surrounding the vote.
The seizures included eight pump-action shotguns and one locally fabricated single-barrel weapon. Police officials say the operations are part of a broader effort to “maintain law and order before, during, and after the by-election.”
On August 22, officers stopped a vehicle near St. Dominic Hospital, where they recovered a Tulpar double-barrel shotgun, four AAA live cartridges, and two blanks. The driver, identified as Bernard Kumi Ofosu, presented a license for the weapon, but remains in custody pending verification of the documentation.
Later that day, a separate checkpoint at Akwatia Y-Junction led to the arrest of Joshua Amenuku, who was found carrying 15 live BB cartridges. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered an additional five cartridges and an ADLER Tulpar pump-action shotgun.
Elsewhere, police detained two men—Enoch Asiedu and Lu Youyan, a Chinese national—after discovering four live cartridges inside a Toyota Hilux pickup at the Boadua Livingstone checkpoint. Investigators say the ammunition is linked to their employer, known only as Mohammed, who is currently the subject of a police search.
The following day, August 23, officers intercepted a vehicle driven by Pieterson Joseph at Boadua Livingstone Junction. A search yielded another ADLER Tulpar shotgun and 46 cartridges, which the suspect admitted to owning.
Later that evening, a Toyota Tundra pickup bearing registration number WR 5535-13 was stopped at Staff Village, Boadua. A search revealed three pump-action shotguns—a Pardus, a Hulglu Atroe, and an unidentified model. Stephen Nkansah, a passenger, claimed ownership of two of the weapons and said the third belonged to his traditional chief. Nkansah was taken into custody.
Regional police officials said similar security operations would continue in the run-up to the by-election. “We are committed to preserving peace and order throughout this electoral process,” the command said in a statement.
The Akwatia by-election is seen as a critical contest in a politically sensitive region. Security analysts have warned that the proliferation of small arms in Ghana poses a growing risk during elections, especially in areas with histories of political tension.
