Ashaiman, Oda police smoke out robbers from hideout

The Ashaiman Divisional Police Command has arrested eight suspected robbers said to be operating across the Greater Accra and Eastern regions.

The suspects, currently on remand, are Nathan  Baidoo, alias King Kong 26 ; Daniel Mensah, alias Waskolo 28 ; Yaw Dodoo, alias Boosu 21; Waliko Zuakariah, alias Wazir 22;  Emmanuel Ofori 28; George Brenya, alias Manso 30; Kwaku Isaac, 24, and Ernest Nyadzi,  alias Morale, 30.

in an  interview, the Ashaiman Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr David Eklu, recounted the circumstances leading to their arrest, saying on June 29, 2013, at 2.30 a.m., a gang of robbers stormed a house at Zenu, near Community 22 annex, and robbed the occupants at gunpoint.

He said the robbers made away with items including electronic gadgets, computers, laptops, mobile phones and jewelries.

He said on September 12 this year, at 1 a.m., there was another robbery by a gang of armed men at Lebanon, near the Pink Lady area, during which a foreign national and his family were attacked.

Mr Eklu said the robbers succeeded in bolting with CFA 10 million, two laptops and seven mobile phones, and left some of the victims with gun-shot wounds.

Mr Eklu said in the course of police investigations, it was discovered that the robbers were a gang who commuted between Ashaiman and Oda, disposing of their booty at either end, depending on where the items were stolen from.

He said upon a tip-off, one of the suspects,  Baidoo, was picked up by the police when a search led to the discovery of one of the stolen mobile phones on him.

Mr  Eklu said further investigations and interrogations led to the arrest of the seven others by the Oda Divisional Police in the Eastern Region at their hideout at Akyem Akroso.

Security men
Meanwhile, the Kpone District Police Command has arrested two private security men for aiding in the stealing of gallons of petroleum products from the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) on the  Aflao road.

They are Kofi Abotsi and Samuel Kwao,  30 and 36 respectively, and of the Vizico Security Company.

Giving the background to the arrest, the Kpone District Police Commander, DSP Abraham Apusiyine, said about 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, police on duty at the BOST had a tip-off that some people were siphoning fuel from the pipelines of the plant.

On reaching the scene, however, the four culprits managed to scale the fence to escape and the two security men who the police personnel saw interacting with the culprits before their escape were arrested.

The suspects are currently in police custody pending further investigations.

By Rose Hayford Darko/Daily Graphic/Ghana