8 Robbers Grabbed By Kumasi Residents

Eight suspected armed robbers are in the grips of the Zongo Police here, having been arrested by residents in three separate robberies.

They are Akwasi Frimpong, alias “Allass,” 19, a driver's mate, Kofi Appiah, 22, an ex-security man, Kwaku Opoku, 20, a driver, and Awudu Akwasi, 20, bicycle repairer.

The rest are Salim Osman, 19, and Salisu Issifu., 18 both shoemakers, Francis Abaduri Minyillah, 24, unemployed and Joe Amidu Abadwea, 18, a butcher.

Inspector Yusif Tanko of the Police Public Affairs Unit, told the Times yesterday that the police were carrying out further investigations into the cases.

He said in the first incident which happened on June 30, Frimpong, Appiah and Opoku allegedly robbed a restaurant operator at Patase of her mobile phone worth about C4 million and an amount of C400,000 after she joined their taxi on her way to Adum to buy meat.

Inspector Tanko said on July 1, while her husband was driving her to work, the women spotted the suspects at the Santasi round-about and told her husband who chased them to Adiembra, near the Asantehene's private residence.

The robbers attempted to make a u-turn to escape but luck eluded them when their car suddenly stopped.

The woman shouted for help and soon the suspects were surrounded by passers-by who arrested them. The mob nearly lynched them but for the timely intervention of the police.

In the second incident, Inspector Tanko said Akwasi, Osman and Issifu alledgely attacked Zakaria Manni, a soap dealer at Akwatia-Line suburb, at about 3 am on July 4.

The victim was said to have arrived from Tamale and was walking home to Aboabo when the suspects and an accomplice, now at large, emerged from their hideout wielding pistols and knives and ordered him to surrender his possessions.

He brought out C800,000 and a mobile phone which they snatched from him and tried to escape but the victim raised the alarm and people assisted in arresting three of them.

A pair of scissors, locally made pistols, knives and a cutlass were found on them.

In the last case, involving Minyilla and Abadwea, Inspector Tanko said they were driven to the police station by a taxi driver whose car they had hired and who had recognized them as the ones who had robbed him previously.

He said the suspects' mode of operation was to hire taxis and rob the occupants on the way.

On June 20, Inspector Tanko said the taxi driver on his usual rounds, looking for passengers, was hired by the suspects at the Kumasi Race Course to Ahinsan.

On the way, they robbed him of his day's earning of C500,000 at knife-point and bolted.

However on July 3, the suspects hired him again at the same area to Ahinsan and pretending not to have recognized them, he drove to the Zongo police station where they were arrested.

On being searched a pistol and a knife were found on them.