Court sentences Arabic teacher to 12 months imprisonment

Kumasi, April 13, GNA- A Kumasi circuit court on Tuesday sentenced a 75-year-old Arabic teacher to 12 months imprisonment in hard labour for possessing illegal firearm.

Mohammed Baba Alpha pleaded guilty on his first appearance last week, but the court deferred sentence until Tuesday. The court, however, granted Abdulai Umar alias "Chairman" and believed to be the leader of the Dagomba youth in Kumasi, 20 million cedis bail with a surety to justify for the same offence. He will re-appear on April 20.

Police Chief Inspector John Afful told the court that intelligence report gathered by the police indicated that some youth at Adukrom, Sawaba, Aboabo Numbers One and Two, Akwatialine and Yelwa, all suburbs of Kumasi, planned to cause confusion in the metropolis for reasons best known to themselves.

He said following the report, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the military and police, mounted a dawn swoop on April 4 at these places and arrested Aminu Abubakari alias "Dollar" in whose possession were found 56 voters' registration slips and 14 voters' registration photo identity cards, Issah Adams, 40, Issahaku Mohammed, 34, and Basiru Tahiru, 38.

Chief Inspector Afful said when the security personnel searched the room of Baba Alpha at Aboabo Number One, a locally manufactured pistol and seven live cartridges were found in the room.

A similar search at Adukrom where Umaru resides, led to the discovery of a pump action gun, the prosecution said, adding that when they were questioned, they could not provide any valid documents authorising them the use the arms.