Police hunt for cop killer
By Dora Akyaa Asare
The police have intensified their search for a suspected armed robber who gunned down one of their officers at Queens Hotel in Ashaiman.
The men and women in black uniform had moved to the hotel on Tuesday upon a tip off to arrest a suspected car snatching syndicate believed to be new in the said business, when Lance Corporal Iddi Braimah met his untimely death at the hands of his assailants.
According to police source, the deceased received two gun shots, when his assailants opened fire at the police operatives who had approached them to inquire about their activities.
However, in their bid to win the fight, the police quickly mobilized themselves and started tracking their assailants from all quarters in the Ashaiman Municipality.
Their efforts paid off when they had a tip off that the syndicate had regrouped and enjoying their booty at an unnamed location in Ashaiman.
The police, The Chronicle learnt, upon closing in on the gang on Thursday dawn, opened fire leading to the death of one of the suspected armed robbers who was later identified as Prosper Kwateku, aka Kush, 29.
Knowing what has befallen them, the robbers also returned fire in an apparent attempt to escape the onslaught of the men and women in black uniform.
In the ensuing melee, one of the accomplices managed to escape with severe gun shot wounds while another, Mantey Godson, 25, surrendered himself after realizing that he has been ambushed.
Briefing journalists about the said incident, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbilla said on April 10, 2012 at about 1:30pm, the Regional Police Command had a tip off that some robbers based at Ashaiman had snatched two salon vehicles; Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla which they were offering for sale.
According to him, he immediately dispatched some officers to the hideout of the robbers at Ashaiman where the vehicles were being offered for sale. He said upon seeing the police, the suspected robbers numbering three opened fire which resulted in the death of one police Officer, Lance Corporal Iddi Braima and escaped.
He said the police quickly regrouped and started pursuing the killers. According to him, their efforts paid off when on Thursday dawn, one of the assailants was gunned down while another surrendered himself when the police closed down on them.
The third accomplice, believed to have shot and killed Lance Corporal Iddi Braimah, is on the run.
According to DCOP Timbilla, the armed robbers are new in the car snatching business, hence their plan to arrest them so as to probe further into the matter, but unfortunately on the approach of the police operatives one of the robbers opened gun fire leading to the death of Lance Corporal Iddi Braimah.
A search on them revealed one locally manufactured pistol, five mobile phones, four live cartridges, two registered number plates, some quantity of dried leaves suspected to be indian hemp and black Toyota Corrolla with the registration number GE 4910-09
Meanwhile, the police are appealing to all medical facilities and herbal centers to report anyone who visit their facilities with gunshot wounds.
The Regional Police Command expressed gratitude to their informants and urged them to keep providing them with reliable information to help them clamp down on the activities of armed robbers and other violent criminals.
DCOP Timbilla told The Chronicle that the arrested robber is currently assisting the police with investigations.