Three remanded for possessing explosives

The three persons arrested for allegedly possessing explosives believed to be grenades were on Tuesday remanded into police custody by the Accra Central District Court.

Ismaila Ali Musah, Abdul Karim Yakubu and Osman Alhassan, believed to be foreign nationals, have been preliminarily charged with possession of explosives without lawful authority.

Their pleas were not taken, but they were remanded following a request by the prosecutor, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Frederick Agyei, that investigations into the case were still ongoing.

Expert consultations

According to ACP Agyei, as part of investigations, the police were in contact with experts, especially those in military circles, to identify the explosives and their destructive power.

The police, he said, were also conducting investigations to determine the intended use of the explosives and also if other individuals were connected to the three persons.

Hearing of the case continues at the court, presided over by Mr Ebenezer Kweku Ansah, on January 30, 2018.

Arrest

According to sources close to the police, Musah had sold an unspecified quantity of the weapons to many people in some conflict-prone areas in the country.

The Odorkor Divisional Police Command, upon intelligence gathered, is said to have dispatched 13 policemen from its Police Patrol Unit to effect the arrest of the suspects.

After trailing the suspects for three days, the police finally arrested Yakubu, known to be a notorious land guard and robber at Agape Down.

When his house was searched, the police found seven green oval looking items suspected to be lethal weapons.

The suspected weapons were meticulously collected and taken to the Odorkor Police Station by the patrol team.

Other arrests

Yakubu subsequently led the police to his supplier, Musah, who was arrested, along with Osman, in a house at Kwashibu, near the Kata Hostel.

During interrogation, Musah is said to have admitted being a member of ISIS in Libya and that he had sold a number of the grenades to some persons in some communities in various parts of the country.