Maazi Okechuku Augustine pleads not guilty as questions persist over the disputed Labone operation that left two suspects dead

Nigerian national Maazi Okechuku Augustine was on Wednesday remanded in police custody in Ghana after pleading not guilty to eight charges linked to an alleged Ghana bank robbery plot in Accra’s Labone area.

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Augustine appeared before the Accra Circuit Court following his arrest on August 13, when Ghanaian police said they had foiled a planned attack on three banks in the area.

The court denied Augustine bail and ordered that he remain in police custody until September 2, 2026, when he is expected to appear again. (Sahara Reporters)

The case has attracted attention because the police account of the operation has been challenged by GCB Bank, while representatives of the Nigerian community have also raised questions about aspects of the incident.

According to the Ghana Police Service, officers received intelligence at about 10:45am on August 13 that a robbery gang was preparing to attack GCB Bank, Ecobank and Zenith Bank in Labone.

Police said officers deployed to the area found suspected members of the gang in vehicles near the banks.

One vehicle allegedly sped away after its occupants noticed the police, leading to a chase during which Augustine was arrested while another occupant escaped.

A second vehicle reportedly attempted to flee while its occupants opened fire, prompting a shootout in which two suspects were killed.

Police said officers recovered a Toyota Highlander, a Hyundai Tucson and a pistol from the scene.

The service described the operation as an intelligence-led intervention that prevented the planned attacks.

However, GCB Bank subsequently disputed any suggestion that its Labone branch had been robbed or attacked.

“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.

GCB added that the branch was never breached and that no customer, staff member, funds or property was affected. The bank said its Labone operations remained secure and normal.

The conflicting accounts have left unanswered questions about the precise nature of the operation and whether the banks were the immediate targets of the suspects.

The Nigerian High Commission in Ghana has also intervened following Augustine’s arrest and the deaths of the two other suspects.

Destiny Austine Omon, media coordinator of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, questioned aspects of the police account, including the location of the alleged operation, the weapon reportedly recovered and the vehicles linked to the suspects.

“The environment where the robbery took place is one of the safest environments in Ghana,” Omon said, according to reports.

He also questioned whether the reported recovery of a single pistol was consistent with an alleged operation of the scale described by 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 Nigerian community in Ghana has also sought clarification from the Ghana Police Service over Augustine’s arrest and the deaths of the other suspects.

Further questions have been raised over one of the recovered vehicles.

Reports said the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number GS-1434-18 had previously been listed as impounded by Ghanaian authorities in 2019, prompting scrutiny of its registration history.

Despite the competing claims, Ghanaian police have maintained that the operation disrupted a planned attack involving three banks in Labone.

The service said Augustine remained in custody to assist investigations after his arrest.

Augustine’s not-guilty plea means the allegations remain unproven, and the court proceedings will now determine the evidence against him.

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With his next appearance scheduled for September 2, the case is likely to attract further scrutiny as investigators work to establish what happened during the dramatic operation and reconcile the police account with GCB Bank’s denial.