Kasoa: An Akweley District Court at Kasoa in the Central Region has remanded into police custody Mujaahid Muhammed Suraj, an administrator, for allegedly shooting a driver during the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Suraj faces charges of assault, causing unlawful harm, possession of a firearm without a lawful excuse, carrying an offensive weapon, and attempted murder. His plea was preserved by the court, presided over by Madam Annie Adobor.
According to Ghana News Agency, when the case was called, counsel for the accused, Cecilia Naa Afoley Otoo, requested bail for Suraj. However, the Prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Thomas Sarfo, opposed the application, citing the severity of the offences - possession of firearms and attempted murder - which are considered first-degree felonies. ASP Sarfo argued that the District Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the bail application.
The facts of the case reveal that the complainant, Tanimu Adamu Tanko, a businessman and executive member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, reported to the Kasoa Police that Suraj had assaulted and attempted to kill him with a firearm on December 7, 2024, during the elections. The shot, however, hit a bystander who was repairing a mini Kia truck at the Odupon Kpehe School Park, Kasoa.
Upon receipt of the complaint, a Police Reinforcement Team proceeded to the scene, but before their arrival, Suraj, also known as Mims, who was allegedly in possession of the firearm, had fled. The injured bystander, Bukari Inusah, was found in a pool of blood and was rushed to the Kasoa Polyclinic for treatment, after which he was referred to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba. The complainant was issued a medical report form to facilitate further treatment for the victim.
The court was informed that a Nissan Pickup vehicle, registered GT 9590-P, belonging to Suraj, was damaged at the scene and subsequently impounded for investigations. Earlier that same day, at about 1200 hours, a misunderstanding had ensued between the complainant (Tanko) and the accused at the Pentecost Polling Station, Kasoa Zongo, in the Odupon Kpehe Electoral Area. Tanko had reportedly asked an Electoral Commission official to instruct a New Patriotic Party (NPP) polling agent to remove a tag embossed with party symbols. Suraj, observing the polls, allegedly took offence and slapped Tanko, who later reported the incident to Suraj's elder brother at Kasoa Zongo.
The two met again at the Odupon Kpehe School Park, where another altercation ensued. During the confrontation, Suraj allegedly pulled a pump-action gun from his pickup vehicle and targeted the complainant. A witness, Sadahatu Adamu Tanko, intervened, pushing the complainant aside, resulting in the gunshot striking the bystander, Bukari Inusah. Security officers stationed at nearby polling centres reportedly heard the gunshot and rushed to the scene, where Suraj was allegedly seen firing indiscriminately before fleeing.
On December 9, 2024, five pellets removed from the victim during surgery were handed over to the Police, and the victim has since been treated and discharged. A warrant for Suraj's arrest was obtained from the Akweley District Magistrate Court in December 2024. On November 14, 2025, Suraj's elder brother, Musah Husein, presented a fertilizer sack containing a pump-action gun to the Police, claiming he found it behind their house at Kae Mebre, Kasoa.
On January 18, 2026, acting on intelligence, Police arrested Suraj from his hideout and obtained a caution statement from him. Suraj admitted owning the gun but failed to produce any lawful documentation. He told the Police that he bought it from a Fulani herdsman known as Buba, who was travelling to Niger in 2024, at a cost of GHS4,000.