The Ministry of the Interior has introduced a new strategy to combat highway robbery by deploying armoured buses disguised as regular commercial transport vehicles on major roads across the country.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Damongo, Savannah Region, on Saturday, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak revealed that the specially equipped buses are being branded as popular transport companies such as VIP, STC, and OA to help security agencies identify and arrest criminals operating on highways.
“We have acquired armoured buses, and these armoured buses have been doing a wonderful thing on most of our long stretch roads because we keep branding them differently,” he said.
“Today we brand them as STC, the next day we brand them as VIP, another day we brand them as OA, just to make sure that we get the perpetrators,” he added.
According to the Minister, the operation has already produced results, leading to the arrest of several suspected highway robbers through the efforts of the Inspector-General of Police and his team.
He explained that the initiative forms part of broader measures aimed at improving safety on the nation’s roads and protecting travellers, particularly on long and isolated routes where robbery attacks have remained a concern.
The town hall meeting, held under the theme “Resetting Ghana,” also featured contributions from Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza.
He noted that poor road conditions often contribute to highway robbery incidents by making vehicles vulnerable to attacks.
Mr. Agbodza also addressed challenges affecting road infrastructure projects under the government’s Big Push programme.
He disclosed that contractors working on the Wa–Wiawso corridor, which passes through parts of the Savannah Region, rank among the poorest performers under the initiative.
He called on contractors who have abandoned projects to return to their sites and complete the work.
The event formed part of President John Dramani Mahama’s nationwide “Resetting Ghana” tour, which seeks to engage citizens on government programmes and development priorities.
During the programme, the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs, through its Registrar, S. A. Issah, presented a number of concerns on behalf of the Yagbonwura, Bii Kunuto Jewu Soale I.
The issues raised included persistent water shortages in Damongo, poor road networks, delays in the regional hospital project, the need for additional districts, the establishment of a university in the region, and the recruitment of teachers for the Gonja language.
