Ataa Ayi, regarded as one of Ghana’s most notorious armed robbers, was arrested in 2005 while drying his clothes at his hideout in Teshie-Nungua.

Born Raymond Ayree Ayitey, his name became synonymous with fear and criminal notoriety in the early 2000s, as he and his gang engaged in a series of violent robberies across the country.

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He was sentenced to 160 years in prison with hard labour on the charges of robbery and conspiracy to rob.

His story reportedly began after he crashed his master’s car on his way back from a festival in Akropong.

In desperate need of money to repair the vehicle, Ayi confided in a friend who later introduced him to another man named Eddie, a seasoned criminal seeking a skilled driver for car-looting operations.

Initially hesitant, Ayi eventually joined the gang, and in 1999 they executed their first robbery.

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The success of that operation set the tone for many others.

Ayi and his gang quickly expanded their activities, trailing victims from banks, hijacking vehicles, and robbing people of cash, cars, and valuables.

One victim recounted how the gang followed him from a bank and stole GH¢22 million he had withdrawn. Another, a pastor, revealed that the gang made away with 56 million cedis from his church premises.

At the time, Ghana’s limited access to digital banking and mobile money systems meant that individuals and businesses carried large sums of cash, creating ideal conditions for such robberies.

Ataa Ayi and his group were eventually estimated to have stolen more than 700 million old cedis, alongside cars, telephones, and jewellery, an amount equivalent to about €70,000 in 2022.

Following a nationwide manhunt, Ayi went into hiding after his pictures were circulated across the country. He reportedly sought refuge in various communities, including Chorkor, before finally settling in his elder sister’s house in Nungua.

The police, led by ACP Kofi Boakye, managed to track and arrest some members of his gang after fierce gun battles that left others dead.

Ayi remained in hiding for weeks until a heated argument with his sister’s daughter exposed him to neighbours, leading to his capture.

On February 28, 2005, while drying his clothes, a police team laid ambush and arrested him from his hideout.

Now described as a changed man, Ataa Ayi has since pleaded with the government to grant him pardon.

JKB/EB

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