The Central East Regional Police Command has intensified its search for a nomadic cattle herdsman who allegedly facilitated a violent election-day shooting by supplying an unlicensed firearm to a local operative.
In an update released on Friday, January 23, 2026, authorities revealed that Mujaheed Suraj, the prime suspect in the December 7, 2024, Odupongkpehe Zongo voting centre shooting, has officially confessed to the crime.
During interrogation following his arrest on January 17, Suraj admitted to purchasing the pump-action gun used in the attack for GH₵4,000.
According to police statements, Suraj claimed he acquired the lethal weapon earlier in 2024 from a herdsman stationed at Gomoa Potsin in the Central Region.
The suspect, however, was unable to provide any legal documentation, permits, or registration for the firearm, confirming that the transaction was entirely illicit.
The revelation has shifted the focus of the investigation toward the shadowy illegal arms trade in the region.
Regional Commander DCOP Mr. Francis Nchor has directed a specialised tactical unit to track down the herdsman, whose identity is yet to be fully established but whose role is considered pivotal in the supply chain of unlicensed weapons used to terrorise voters.
The shooting at the Odupongkpehe Zongo centre was one of the darkest moments of the 2024 general elections in Kasoa. According to the case file:
- The Victims: Bukari Inusah (34) and Tanimu Adamu Tanko (44) were struck by pellets when Suraj discharged the firearm into the crowd.
- Property Damage: A stationary pickup truck (GT 9550-P) caught in the crossfire suffered significant damage.
- Status of the Injured: More than a year after the incident, police confirmed that both victims have yet to fully recover from their physical and psychological trauma.
The Central East Regional Police Command has reiterated that the arrest of Suraj is just the beginning.
The manhunt for the herdsman is part of a broader anti-Illicit arms operation aimed at sanitising the Kasoa-Gomoa-Potsin axis, which has historically been a hotspot for land guard activities and illegal firearm distribution.
“Every payment and transaction within this criminal network is being traced,” a police source noted, emphasising that they are also investigating if the herdsman has supplied other individuals involved in political violence.
The police have urged the public in the Gomoa Potsin area to report any suspicious individuals dealing in firearms or ammunition.
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