Ambrose Dery Allays Fears Over Robbery Concerns

The Interior Minister Ambrose Dery says the police are in control of security in spite of the dizzying reports of armed robbery attacks in parts of the country.

He told Joy News’ Latif Iddrisu the police are constantly changing their modules to keep up with the increasing sophistication by the armed robbery gang whose activities appear to be creating a state of fear and panic across the country.

His comments come a day after some four armed robbers in broad daylight attacked Royal Motors in Accra and made away with an unspecified amount of money while raining terror on workers of the company.

The attack was well planned and carried out swiftly, Tuesday morning, with the robbers hijacking two other vehicles in the course of the attack.

Two of the suspects have since been arrested, police say even though the identities of the suspects are yet to be made public.

But the Royal Motors armed attack is a drop in the ocean of armed robbery attacks recorded this year.

Crime statistics indicate there have been 89 robberies in January 2018 alone higher than figures recorded in the same period over the last six years.

In 2017, 51 robberies were recorded in the same period.

The 2018 figures are not just staggering in number but also in the form and manner the robberies are undertaken.

At Oyibi in Accra the robbers appear to be on holiday visits, raining terror, raping victims and killing innocent citizens.

In one of the attacks, a 67-year-old man was said to have been hit with slab until he bled to death. His daughter was stripped and nearly raped by the robbers who eventually made away with cash.

Another account from one of the victims indicates the robbers spent almost three hours in the house, ate, drank from the fridge and used the washroom after they had beaten the victims. They also made away with an unspecified amount of money.

There was also the Kwabenya cell break in which a policeman was killed by armed men who succeeded in freeing their colleagues held by the police.

Suspects of Kwabenya attack arrested
Frightening as the attacks may be, the police have also recorded some arrests including the four suspects who freed their colleagues at Kwabenya in Accra.

There have also been the arrests of nine suspects who are believed to be behind a chain of attacks on forex bureaus in the nation’s capital.

The Police Director of Operations COP Dr George Dampare has assured the police are at work to end the spate of robberies even if it will come at the peril of the lives of the police.

His boss, the Interior Minister told Joy News, the attacks by the robbers cannot be a case of the police not trying enough.

Ambrose Dery
He said the police are being resourced adequately to combat the increasing spate of armed robbery in the country.

According to him, in Brong Ahafo, for instance, it was a case of four policemen manning 20 communities with no vehicle but with one gun.

His outfit has provided some logistics to provide better security for them, he stated.

According to him, there has been the largest allocation of resources to the police in the shortest possible time and believes this logistical support will soon translate into better security for the citizens.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah