Police in Kumasi arrest 'notorious' armed gangsters

The Ashanti Regional Police Command say it has arrested suspected armed robbers officials describe as notorious criminals recently declared wanted.

Regional Deputy Commander, ACP Osei Ampofo-Duku, will not name the suspects but says they are being processed for court.

He spoke exclusively with Nhyira News after a media briefing on the arrest nine suspects.

They include the four suspects who are believed to have killed a fuel dealer at Atwima Nkoranza at dawn on Wednesday.

Kofi Emmanuel, 22-year old Food vendor, Kwadwo Addai-18, Moses Atoa and Sadat Mohammed who was released from prisons three months ago were part of those arrested.

Five others, Abdul Sadick, Abdul Saddick Derry and Ridwan Mohammed as well as Peter Rebilla at the Affordable Housing project site for robbing at gunpoint, residents of Ayeduase.

On June 2, police declared wanted 19 notorious robbers, one of them a dismissed police constable, Murtala Mohammed.

He is believed to be running criminal gangs who have been terrorizing residents in and around Kumasi.

Two people have since been killed and others wounded by the robbers who appear to target new settlements.

ACP Osei Ampofo Duku tells Nhyira News ‘quiet a number’ of the robbers have been arrested.

“We had arrested some of them but a majority of them are still at large. Now we know some of their movements. We know Murtala, upon all that he did at Fox Fm that he’s not an armed robber...we have heard he’s crossed the border to Burkina because he’s been calling a sister on a Burkina phone number. The rest, we are pursuing them. But we have arrested a handful of them,” ACP Osei Ampofo Duku disclosed.

The command has been critised for failing to report the arrest of the suspected criminals whose activities attracted widespread media attention a fortnight ago.

In reaction, ACP Ampofo Duku responded, “Well the press has not been told because sometimes we don’t want to blow it so hard because we haven’t had all of them arrested but we have made some meaningful arrests.”

"No we can’t put the figure out because Suame is doing some, Tafo-Pankrono Division and Asokwa; so day-in and out, we continue to getting some of them arrested. At the appropriate time, we will call a press briefing and then put it out to the general public.”

Meanwhile, ACP Ampofo Duku, appeals to district assemblies to strengthen security in their areas through formation of neighborhood watch committees.