Police Pick Seven Robbery Suspects

The police have made a major breakthrough in their search for suspects connected with last month's series of robberies at the Dzorwulu, Abelenkpe and Achimota areas.

In a special operation led by the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, seven suspects have been picked up from their hideouts at Achimota.

Some of the suspects have confessed to being involved in at least three robberies within the area, including the one on October 4, 2009 in which a gym instructor of the Social Aviation Centre, Daniel Owusu-Sekyere, was killed.

The suspects also confessed to two other robberies, including the one in which a female member of staff of TV3 Limited was nearly raped.

The highly traumatised female TV3 member of staff was able to identify at least four of the robbers.

One of the suspects, Cudjoe, was shocked when the victim challenged him that he had a scar on his abdomen after he had denied his involvement in the robbery.

He immediately kept mute and when his shirt was removed, the scar was found. The Daily Graphic reported the robbery operation which led to Owusu-Sekyere's death in its October 5, 2009 edition. In the course of that operation, other co-tenants were molested and robbed.

Those arrested and who are currently in custody are Danladi Ibrahim, Kwabena Boadi, alias Rasta, Kojo Agba, Bright Adjei, alias Cudjoe, Francis Bediako, alias Taller, Kwabena Yeboah, alias Nigger, and Ismael Michael Quainoo, alias TT.

Two others said to be part of the gang but currently on the run were identified only as Titso and Fanti. Five pistols and a quantity of cartridges were retrieved from Agba, said to be a resident of Dzorwulu, who often mobilised the robbers to attack their victims, while two other pistols and some cartridges were also retrieved from Adjei.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has appealed to members of the public to help the security agencies identify all local arms manufacturers.

He told the Daily Graphic that it appeared the only way the police could deal with the increasing use of locally manufactured arms was to trace the source.

He promised handsome rewards for informants who would lead the police to arms manufacturers.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Accra on the exercise that led to the arrest of the seven suspects, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said after the robbery on October 4, 2009, during which the gym instructor was killed, the robbers embarked on three others within the same month.

She said in another robbery operation on October 21, 2009, the robbers attacked a couple and a tenant, during which they allegedly took away two wedding rings, GH¢130, CFA3,500, one laptop, a sound system and a number of mobile phones.

According to her, the robbers again attacked another house at Dzorwulu where a Libyan national, a Nigerian and the worker of TV3 Limited reside on October 24, 2009.

In that robbery, DCOP Atinga said, the robbers took away DVD players, laptops, sound systems, wedding rings, a video camera, a DSTv decoder, mobile phones and GH¢620 after assaulting their victims.

DCOP Atinga, who was assisted by her deputy, ACP Yohuno, to brief the media, said on that same night of October 29, 2009 the robbery gang attacked two Chinese nationals around Achimota, taking away their personal effects, mobile phones and GH¢6,000.

She explained that the police immediately put in place a surveillance team and other operations to track the suspects,

adding that they also linked up with some informants who worked tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to book.

DCOP Atinga said the suspects were mobilising to embark on another operation when they were arrested.