Nigerian national, Maazi Okechuku Augustine, has been denied bail and further remanded in police custody in Ghana over his alleged involvement in a foiled bank robbery operation in the Labone area of Accra.
Augustine pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including conspiracy to commit robbery, when he appeared before the Accra Circuit Court.
SaharaReporters learnt that following his plea, the court denied him bail and ordered that he remain in police custody until September 2, 2026, when he is expected to appear again.
Augustine was arrested on Thursday, August 13, after the Ghana Police Service said it foiled an alleged plot to rob three banks in Labone, namely GCB Bank, Ecobank and Zenith Bank.
According to the police, officers received intelligence at about 10:45 a.m. that a gang was preparing to attack the banks and subsequently deployed personnel to the area.
The police said officers spotted suspected members of the gang in vehicles parked near the banks.
One of the vehicles allegedly sped away after the occupants noticed the police, triggering a chase that ended with Augustine’s arrest. Another occupant reportedly escaped.
The occupants of a second vehicle allegedly attempted to flee while firing at the police, resulting in a shootout during which two suspects were killed.
The police said two vehicles were recovered from the suspects, a Toyota Highlander with registration number GS-1434-18 and a Hyundai Tucson with registration number GS 7915-17, along with a pistol.
However, the circumstances surrounding the incident have remained contentious, particularly following a denial by GCB Bank that its Labone branch was targeted.
“GCB Bank wishes to clarify that no robbery or attempted robbery took place at our Labone Branch or on the Bank’s premises,” the bank said.
The bank also stated that its branch was never breached and that no customer, staff member, funds or property was affected.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the police’s claim that the suspects were preparing to rob the banks and the precise nature of the operation that resulted in Augustine’s arrest and the deaths of the two other suspects.
SaharaReporters also previously reported that checks showed that the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number GS 1434 18, which police identified as one of the vehicles recovered from the suspects, had reportedly been listed by Ghanaian authorities as impounded in 2019.
The apparent reuse of the registration number has raised further questions about the vehicle’s history and aspects of the police account.
The Nigerian High Commission in Ghana has intervened in the matter following Augustine’s arrest and the deaths of the other suspects.
Destiny Austine Omon, media coordinator of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, had questioned aspects of the police account, including the location of the alleged robbery, the weapon reportedly recovered and the vehicles allegedly used.
“The environment where the robbery took place is one of the safest environments in Ghana. It is close to 37 Military Base, the Ghanian Presidency, police headquarters and cantonment,” Omon told SaharaReporters.
He also questioned whether the weapon allegedly recovered was consistent with the scale of the operation described by the police.
“It does not add up for armed robbers wanting to do that scale of attack to be arrested with only a pistol,” he said.
The President of All Nigerian Communities in Ghana was also reportedly sent to Ghana Police Headquarters to seek clarification over Augustine’s arrest and the deaths of the other suspects.
Despite the concerns and conflicting accounts, the Ghana Police Service has maintained that its officers foiled a planned attack on the three banks.
With the court’s latest decision, Augustine will remain in police custody until his next appearance on September 2, while the case continues.
(SaharaReporters)