Armed robbers struck terror on the Berekum–Jinijini Drobo Sampa highway Tuesday morning, ambushing several vehicles, including one carrying Ghana Armed Forces personnel, and escaping with cash, phones, laptops, and other valuables.
The brazen attack happened around 9:30 a.m. near the Jinijini stretch when the gang, numbering about eight and wielding AK-47s and pump-action guns, blocked the road with logs and opened fire to force vehicles to stop.
Eyewitnesses say the robbers operated for nearly 30 minutes, ordering passengers — including uniformed soldiers travelling in a private vehicle — to lie face down while they ransacked bags and pockets.
“They took everything: money, phones, even military bags. One soldier tried to resist and they beat him badly,” a traumatised passenger told Tarkwa FM’s Kuro Wura.
The soldiers were reportedly returning from leave and were not on official duty, which is why they were travelling unarmed in civilian transport.
The robbers fled into nearby cocoa farms toward the Ivory Coast border before police and military reinforcements arrived.
No fatalities were recorded, but several victims sustained injuries from beatings and broken glass.
The Bono Regional Police Command has launched a manhunt, with joint police-military patrols now combing the border communities. Roadblocks have been mounted on all feeder roads linking Drobo, Sampa, and Jinijini.
Residents say highway robbery has surged on this stretch since late 2024, blaming porous borders and inadequate police presence.
The Ghana Armed Forces Public Relations Directorate has confirmed the incident and says an internal investigation is underway.
Motorists are being urged to travel in convoys and avoid the route after 6 p.m. until the situation is brought under control.
The Drobo–Sampa highway, a vital trade link to Côte d’Ivoire, is fast gaining notoriety as one of Ghana’s most dangerous roads.
Authorities promise swift action — but for now, travellers are counting the cost of another violent morning.
