Suspects granted police enquiry bail

Kumasi, April 7, GNA - The four people who were arrested at a dawn swoop on Monday in a joint police-military operation at some suburbs in Kumasi have been granted police enquiry bail.

They are Aminu Abubakari alias "Dollar" in whose possession were found 56 voters registration slips and 14 voters registration photo identity cards, Issah Adams, 40, Issahaku Mohammed, 34, and Basiru Tahiru, 38. Meanwhile, a Kumasi circuit court on Tuesday convicted a 75-year-old Arabic teacher, Mohammed Baba Alpha for possessing illegal firearms. He was convicted on his own plea. However, the court deferred sentence and remanded him in prison custody to re-appear on April 13.

The court also remanded Abdulai Umaru alias "Chairman" and believed to be the leader of the Dagomba youth in Kumasi in prison custody to re-appear on April 13.

He pleaded not guilty to possessing illegal firearms. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector John Afful told the court that intelligence report gathered by the police indicated that some youth at Adukrom, Sawaba, Aboabo Numbers One and Two, Akwatia-Line and Yelwa, all suburbs of Kumasi, planned to cause confusion in the metropolis for reasons best known to them.

He said following this disturbing report, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the military and police, mounted a dawn swoop at these places and succeeded in arresting the culprits.

Chief Inspector Afful said when the team of security personnel searched the room of Baba Alpha at Aboabo Number One, a locally manufactured pistol and seven live cartridges were found in his possession.

A similar search, he said, was conducted at Adukrom where Umaru resides leading to the discovery of a pump gun and when he was questioned, he could not provide any valid documents authorising him to use the gun.