Some survivors revealed that the armed robbers blocked the highway around 8:00 pm, robbing over 15 vehicles, and made away with over GH₵100,000 and mobile phones.

The survivors recounted that, the robbery lasted for more than an hour until some brave residents confronted the robbers, forcing them to flee the scene.

In an interview with Adom News, some of the residents who courageously confronted the robbers with locally-made guns explained that they repeatedly called the Police, but no help arrived.

Left with no choice, they decided to confront the robbers themselves.

They further revealed that the robbers killed the driver of the container truck, which was transporting goods to Agona Swedru, on the spot, while others were injured by gunfire.

Meanwhile, several angry residents at Agona Suromanya expressed their disappointment in the Agona Swedru Police, stating that it took the police more than three hours to arrive at the scene.

The residents believe that the driver could have survived if the Police had responded earlier.

Source: Kofi Adjei

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Per a police situational report, the five suspects snatched a Toyota Camry and other items from one Adam Abdul-Gafaru at gunpoint in Tamale.

The activities of the suspects were traced by a tracking machine which alerted that they were heading towards Buipe direction.

Based on this, the Buipe highway patrol team on duty at Sawaba checkpoint launched an attack, intercepted and arrested the occupants of the snatched and robbery vehicle with registration numbers AS8445-19 and GX6923-20.

The suspects have been identified as Ibrahim Issah aged 27, Contractor/Accra, Mohammed Mustapha in military uniform, aged 23, Burma camp DI, Vivor Christopher aged 27, a phone repairer, Benyamin Ajyei aged 23 mobile money vendor, Accra and Seyram Addo aged 29, Plumber, Danfa/ Madina.

A search conducted after their arrest found 13 assorted mobile phones, one Falcon Foreign Pistol loaded with 9mm ammunition, a wallet containing a bunch of keys together with two handcuffs key, two Voter’s ID Cards

The victim has been identified as the brother of Chairman for the Justice and Security Subcommittee of Savelugu Municipal Assembly, Iddrisu Nurudeen.

The woman was rushed to Maame Krobo Health Centre but was referred to the Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital where she is receiving treatment.

The robbery incident occurred Friday, August 13, 2021, at about 6:30 pm at the Agyata stretch of the Ekye Amanfrom from Maame Krobo road.

The four-member robbery gang, two wielding guns and two with machetes first attacked two motorbike riders and their pillions and used their motorbikes to block the road to rob their victims.

A Sprinter Bus fully occupied by passengers en-route from Nkawkaw to Donkorkrom bumped into the robbery where the robbers signaled the driver to stop at gunpoint.

“We were from Nkawkaw to Donkorkrom. When we crossed the Afram River, there was an Urvan bus ahead of us but our Sprinter bus driver overtook him. So there were two pick-up and V8 vehicles believed to be occupied by Chinese working in the area which also overtook our vehicle.

“On reaching a curve near Agyata community we heard a gunshot then we saw two motorbikes used to block the road, then one of the robbers who was wielding gun pointed the gun at our driver to stop so the driver drove towards him as he tried to slam the breaks to stop,” One of the victims told Starr News.

He added: “They ordered us to bring out all our monies and lie in the prone position. Some passengers, including a female at the back seat, were reluctant to get down from the vehicle so one of the robbers fired a gunshot into the vehicle, the bullet hit the arm of the woman and part of her belly.”

Kwahu Afram Plains Area has been battling with the robbery menace for over a decade.

The robbers take advantage of the deplorable roads, unavailability and poor mobile network signals and inadequate police presence on the road.

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The notorious highway robbery gang mostly target traders and mourners.

Many victims have died while others were injured in previously deadly attacks.

The last robbery attack before the current one occurred on Monday, July 26, 2021.

The robbers blocked Asukese junction stretch of Tease to Fori- Fori road at about 7:00 am to rob their victims in two commercial vehicles.

The robbers took away mobile phones, cash and other personal effects of their victims.

One of the victim’s, Agyei Budu Nathan, a radio pastor at Afram FM, a local radio station, said the robbers absconded with his two mobile phones and an amount of GHC 3,200.00 mobilised to organise a funeral for his dead wife at Akyem Osino.

Ironically, the local police are helpless due to inadequate logistics and personnel to combat the robbery menace.

The Wa Senior High School finalist, Deborah Kwilantey, who was said to be returning to school from her parents at Dormaa in the Bono Region, was among other passengers when the robbery incident happened.

She died on the spot.

The unidentified person believed to be in his early 40s died at the hospital whiles receiving treatment.

Four others who sustained minor injuries were also rushed to the hospital where they were treated and discharged.

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In narrating his ordeal, one of the victims, Kikyoto Ibrahim said, “we were coming from Techiman but the moment we entered Sekpa township, I was surprised to see many cars and the armed robbers were dressed in an all black attire while holding pistol and an AK47 assault rifle.

“They were shooting and shooting. So the bullet got a lady and she died in our car. We were lucky we sustained minor injuries but they have taken all our properties away,” he bemoaned.

Residents also say the daylight robbery incidents on the highway is becoming a source of worry and appealed to the Bole District Security Council (DISEC) to intervene.

The delegation, led by the Director-General Welfare, COP Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, also visited Corporal Tomiteh, who is on admission at St Dominic’s Hospital, Akwatia.

COP Addo-Danquah also interacted with Corporal Apaka Ibrahim and Corporal Isaac Owusu Frimpong who were part of the team that responded to the robbery incident.

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She assured the personnel will receive psychological support for the trauma they have gone through.

The team also visited the chiefs and elders of Pramkese to thank them for their support to the Police coupled with a visit to the crime scene.

The incident occurred at about 18:50 hours on Monday, February 1, 2021, after they received a distress call.

The unidentified gunmen were reported to have blocked the Pramkese – Takyiman motor road and were robbing commuters.

The ambulance, which belongs to the Yilo Krobo constituency, was said to be transporting a woman in labour from the Akuse Government Hospital to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua.

Reports indicate the incident occurred around 1:00 am Thursday, January 4, 2021, with the driver in a critical condition.

The driver is reported to have bumped into the robbers who started firing shots upon the sound of the siren and the light which they thought was the police.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Administrative Officer of the National Ambulance Service, Felix Owusu, confirmed the news in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

He said the robbers fired through the windscreen and the side mirror.

“Even after the shooting, they wanted to extort money from the EMT who was attending to the injured driver and the woman who only had GHS 15.00 on her leaving the driver to his fate.

“Information we have gathered so far suggests they were about eight men including a lady,” he narrated.

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Mr Owusu indicated the injured driver is at the Intensive Care Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and is expected to undergo surgery.

The woman, who was left traumatised, was also taken through counselling and doing well now.

The case has been reported to the Adukurom police with investigations underway.

The deceased has been identified as Sgt Moses Nartey Tetteh and the injured, Cpl. Christian Totimeh.

Police sources say the incident occurred at about 18:50 hours on Monday, February 1, 2021, after they received a distress call.

The unidentified gunmen were reported to have blocked the Pramkese – Takyiman motor road and were robbing commuters.

G/Sgt. Tetteh, G/Cpl Totimeh and D/Cpl Ibrahim Apaka with Service AK 47 riffle responded to the call on board a taxi cab.

The team on reaching a section of the road at Ada Kwasi Junction spotted a mini bus ahead of them at about hundred meters away.

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While approaching the scene, they noticed that the minibus stopped, compelling them to also slow down.

Suddenly, two unidentified men holding AK 47 riffle emerged from the bush onto the road and flashed a touch light onto the occupants of the taxi.

After they identified them to be Policemen, they started firing at them indiscriminately during which Sgt Nartey sustained two gunshot wounds in his chest and one on his head while G/Cpl Totimeh also sustained a gunshot wound on his left rib.

The team then retreated and rushed the injured officers to Pramkese Health Centre for treatment where Sgt Tetteh was pronounced dead on arrival while Cpl. Totimeh was referred to St Dominic Hospital, Akwatia for treatment.

The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Kade Government Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

The District Commander and the station officer have visited the injured officer at Akwatia and found his condition to be stable.

Meanwhile, a reinforcement team from the Divisional Police Command, Asamankese has been sent to augment the strength of the local Police.

They are believed to have carried out coordinated robbery attacks on two major highways in the West Mamprusi Municipality on Saturday.

The robbers according to the police, first attacked a passenger vehicle traveling on the Walewale – Nalerigu road from Techiman to Bunkprugu.

They robbed its occupants of a total sum of GH₵200,000 and other personal valuables.

The police said the robbers also blocked the Walewale – Bolgatanga highway at Wulugu.

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They shot one person before making away with an estimated amount of GH₵40,000 belonging to travellers and motorists.

The victim who was shot in the attack has been identified as Gideon Osei, a truck driver. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Walewale.

The robbers said to be 12 in number subjected the passengers in the Urvan bus to intense search and took away their monies, phones, laptops and other valuables.

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JoyNews’ Seth Kwame Boateng reported that, “Thirty minutes after driving past last Monday’s accident scene which killed over 30 persons on the Kintampo-Tamale road, we observed from afar some people desperately trying to stop our vehicle.”

According to him, the long stretch being such a silent one, their driver was not too sure whether it was safe for them to stop so we continued.

He said what saved him and his crew was when a brown pickup which had overtaken them at a point which suddenly stopped and turned with speed towards them.

“He shouted at us to return since there was a highway robbery underway. Yes, it was true, the armed robbers numbering about 12 had crossed an Urvan bus full of passengers from Sunyani going to Tamale. They first smashed the windscreen and impressed on the driver to stop,” the journalist said.

According to the reporter, the robbers then ransacked the vehicles which were carrying a number of passengers including teachers from the Tamale Technical University who were returning from a workshop.

“Everything they were carrying, from their laptops, wallets, ID cards and sums of money. As if this was not enough, they also beat with clubs and the butt of their guns. Some sustained cuts in their heads.

“From afar, we could see the robbers comfortably and boldly carrying out their activities with no vehicle coming or going.

“A number of vehicles had joined ours and parked on the shoulder of the road but with all engines on so we could retreat as soon, we become their target.”

According to him, a few calls to the security officials in Kintampo saved the situation as the robbers entered the nearby bush when they got wind of the arrival of the armed police.