Two armed suspects shot, arrested at Court of Appeal judge’s home

A potentially dangerous situation was swiftly brought under control late Tuesday night when a police bodyguard assigned to a Court of Appeal judge thwarted what appeared to be a deliberate and armed intrusion at the judge’s private residence.

Two suspected robbers, now in police custody and nursing gunshot wounds, learned the hard way that the property was not unguarded.

The incident unfolded at approximately 11:30 p.m., when the two suspects, identified as Patrick Alor, 23, and Akwasi Gyamfi, 21, allegedly scaled the perimeter fence of the judge’s home armed with cutlasses and a pair of scissors. Their apparent target was the judge’s private vehicle.

What they had not counted on was the alert officer stationed on the premises.

Upon detecting the intruders, the bodyguard moved to confront them, but the suspects did not go quietly. According to a police statement, the two men actively resisted and attempted to disarm the officer, forcing his hand.

“Acting in self-defence and in line with police operational procedures, the officer discharged his firearm,” the statement read.

Both suspects were struck in the legs. They were subsequently arrested and transported under police guard to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, where they are currently receiving treatment and reported to be in stable condition.

The Ashanti Regional Police Command did not hold back in its assessment of how the officer handled the situation, commending him for his “vigilance, professionalism and bravery” and noting that his decisive response in the moment likely prevented a far more serious outcome for a sitting member of the judiciary.

The Ghana Police Service has used the incident to reaffirm its commitment to the protection of judicial officers and members of the public, while also calling on citizens to remain alert and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.

For now, two suspects are recovering in hospital with more than just physical wounds to show for a night that went badly wrong, and a bodyguard is being hailed for doing exactly what he was posted there to do.