Armed robber killed in gun battle with police

A fierce battle between police and a gang of armed robbers at dawn on Tuesday led to the death of one of the robbers later identified only as Kwesi and the arrest of another called Thomas Kwabena Frimpong.

Briefing the media in Accra yesterday, the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kwaku Ayesu Opare Addo, said at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday the police had information that a group of armed robbers had attacked a taxi driver at Dome Pillar '2' and snatched his cab from him at gun point.

He said a message was quickly relayed to all the police stations as well as police patrol teams to be on the look out for Opel Astra taxi cab with GR 286 V registration number.

DCOP Opare-Addo said at about 1 a.m. yesterday, one of the patrol teams from the Regional Headquarters, Accra Central, saw the taxi at Haatso, West Legon.

The police gave the occupants a signal to stop but they ignored the order and sped off.

The police chased the taxi and the robbers fired at them. The police returned fire and hit one of the robbers who died instantly.

DCOP Opare-Addo said two of the robbers escaped but luck eluded them as Frimpong was arrested.

A search on the cab revealed a locally-manufactured pistol, three live cartridges, a cutlass and a pair of pliers.

The taxi driver reportedly told the police that a member of the gang hired his cab at about 9 p.m. from Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Dome Pillar '2'. He said on reaching the place, three others joined and inflicted cutlass wounds on him before snatching the taxi.

On interrogation, Frimpong told the police that he was at home at Dome, when one Sammy Tugah came to him in the taxi, together with two others and they asked him to accompany them to a place at Madina.

Frimpong said he was given the cab to drive and it was on their way that they met the police patrol team which ordered them to stop, but he was instructed by Sammy Tugah not to obey the order.

Frimpong said the police fired at them and the taxi fell into a ditch.

DCOP Opare-Addo said Frimpong is currently assisting the police in their investigations and appealed to the public to report anybody they suspect to be a criminal to the police.

He noted that Sammy Tugah is on the police wanted list for allegedly committing many robberies in Accra and beyond.

Source: The Ghanaian Times