Police round up four robbers...After committing 10 robberies in 3 nights

THE ASHANTI Regional Police, with support from their counterparts in Accra, have arrested four suspected armed robbers, believed to be part of a syndicate group, which committed 10 different robberies, on three separate nights, in Kumasi.

They are Sadat Mohammed 23, Abdulai Adamu a.k.a. Awudu 23, Rashid Nuru 21, and Kwame Appiah 20, all residents of Accra.

The leader of the group, who is known to the police as Mayi, alias Burger, is still at large. He is believed to be hiding somewhere in Accra.

After committing the robberies, these suspected criminals, who have gained notoriety in terrorizing and traumatizing their victims, would immediately flee back to their places of abode, to cool off and re-surface again in Kumasi, to continue their callous acts.

The out-going Ashanti Regional Deputy Police Commander, ACP Bright Oduro, told the media, in Kumasi yesterday, during a press briefing, that in two of such incidents, the armed robbers “audaciously entered hotel premises and robbed lodgers of their monies and valuables.”

To facilitate their activities, Mr. Oduro stated, the robbers snatched taxi after taxi, used and abandoned them when they felt they no longer needed them, adding that the three incidents happened on May 23 and 25, as well as June 27, this year, respectively, during one of which they attacked lodgers at the Pink Panther Hotel, and made away two laptop computers, two Nokia, one Motorola and one Kasapa phone.

The Mayi-led robbery group also took away one DSTV decoder that day, and waited for the next three days before launching another robbery attack, at about 1:00 am, on one Emmanuel Acquah, driver of a KIA Pride taxi-cab with registration AS 1495 Y, at Aboabo, a Kumasi suburb.

ACP Oduro revealed further that about an hour later, the armed men, using Acquah's taxi, succeeded in robbing K. Ofori Cement and Iron Rods Company, at Kwamo to the sum of GH¢4,800.00 (¢48 million in old currency), by breaking into the company's office with the aid of a chisel and hammer. From there, the robbers proceeded to Nkawkaw, to attack workers of Galaxy Oil Ghana Limited, broke the safe containing GH¢15,000.00, and escaped as well.

Oduro narrated further that a month later, around 12 midnight, three members of the syndicate – this time made up of Mayi, Awudu and Sadat - returned to Kumasi, to snatch Mark Abedu's taxi-cab, with registration AS 2276 W, at Aboabo, and proceeded to Bekwai, where they attacked the Amansie International Hotel, after posing as prospective guests.

At the hotel, they robbed Messrs Keith Lordey, George Tetteh and Peter Doku off four different mobile phones, and a sum of GH¢3,400.00 plus US$150.00, and raped one of the female workers, the police officer said.

The robbers then abandoned the taxi, and seized a KIA truck with registration GT 5561 V, belonging to Keith, which they used to flee the scene, and headed towards Kumasi, where they snatched another taxi.

According to him, while the Accra Regional Patrol Team arrested Sadat Mohamed and his girl friend, Agnes Asiam, popularly known as Hajia, Rashid Nuru and Kwame Appiah were among a number of suspected armed robbers, rounded up by the Nima Police from their hideout on June 25 this year, during which two pump action guns were retrieved from them.

The Police Commander said Hajia, who has been identified as the source of the supply of the weapons used during the three operations, claimed during police interrogation that she obtained the weapons from one Moses, identified as another boyfriend of hers, and now in police custody in Accra.

He continued that the 23-year-old Adamu was arrested in his bid to escape, when he, together with notorious Mayi and Sadat, were spotted by the police in a snatched taxi cab during their last operation, driving at top speed around the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) area, on June 27.

Fortunately for Mayi and Sadat, they managed to escape, but could not bolt away with their pump-action gun, and an Israeli-made-9mm Brown KAREEM MK II pistol, which were hidden in the abandoned taxi.

ACP Oduro also indicated that two other accomplices of the syndicate were still at large, and mentioned their names as Ramani and Hamidu.

They are believed to be living in Mamobi in Accra.