A 36-year-old Nigerian national, Stanley Afaku, has been handed a 10-year prison sentence by the Sekondi Circuit Court for his role in a violent armed robbery at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Western Region of Ghana.
The sentence, confirmed in a press statement released on June 12, 2025 by the Ghana Police Service, followed Afaku’s guilty plea to charges of armed robbery. The ruling was delivered by Her Honour Naa Amerley Akowuah on Monday, June 9, 2025.
According to Superintendent Olivia E.T. Adiku, Head of the Public Affairs Unit at the Western Regional Police Headquarters, the conviction stemmed from an intelligence-led operation mounted by the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate.
The incident took place on February 23, 2025, when Stanley Afaku and his accomplice, identified as Samuel Nickson, also known as Egya Acquah, attacked Nash Arthur, a security guard on duty at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The duo, armed with a gun, tied up the guard using his own shirt. They then stole his mobile phone and broke into the hospital’s outpatient pharmacy, where they made away with a flat-screen television.
Following weeks of investigation, Afaku was apprehended on June 4, 2025, at the Esiama Bafana Ghetto, a location believed to be a hotspot for criminal activity. During interrogation, he confessed to the robbery and identified his accomplice.
While Afaku chose to plead guilty, Nickson maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to both robbery charges. The court has remanded him into custody, and he is scheduled to reappear on June 24, 2025.
In addition to his 10-year custodial sentence, the court also directed that Stanley Afaku be deported by the Ghana Immigration Service after serving his jail term.
The Ghana Police Service has reiterated its commitment to cracking down on violent crimes across the country. The Service praised its intelligence team and urged the public to continue cooperating with law enforcement to ensure community safety.