Drone operation leads to arrest of three in Keri gun attack

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the shooting of two individuals at Keri in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, as security agencies intensify investigations into the incident.

The suspects, identified as Bomie Dennis, 22; Charity Salisa, 25; and Victoria Kakotse, 22, are currently in police custody after being handed over by the military to assist with investigations.

A search conducted at suspected hideouts led to the retrieval of a cache of items, including four locally manufactured single-barrel guns, 63 AAA cartridges, 33 BB cartridges, one Royal Duck cartridge and a cartridge rack.

Other items recovered were two Samsung smartphones, an Itel keypad phone, three hanging bags, a schnapps bottle, two ECOWAS ID cards bearing the names Afreh Justice and Ntanso Kwabena, as well as a talisman, spanners and assorted tools.

“The suspects are currently in police custody assisting investigations, while all retrieved exhibits have been retained for evidential purposes,” a police situational report said.

According to the report, the police received information on March 18, 2026, at about 2:30 p.m. that two persons had been shot at Keri and rushed to the Nkwanta Municipal Hospital for treatment.

Officers proceeded to the facility, where the victims were identified as Gasalege Kumi Salisa, 82, and his son, Amoah Gasalege Amoah, 42, both of Challa extraction.

They were found with suspected pellet wounds to the head, chest, shoulders and hands, and were said to be responding to treatment.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that at about 2 p.m. the same day, the victims, together with their relatives, were at their residence at Keri when gunmen, believed to be Akyodes, opened fire on them, causing the injuries,” the report explained.

Security agencies later acted on intelligence that some of the suspects had fled into nearby bushes following the attack.

A military team deployed a drone, which identified individuals hiding in the area. The suspects were subsequently pursued, leading to the arrest of three of them, while three others managed to escape.

“At about 2015 hours, Capt. Nana Banyin Appiah Kubi of the 66 Artillery Regiment, Ho, led a military team that formally handed over the three arrested suspects to the police,” the report added.

Investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to apprehend the remaining suspects.