The Minister for the Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery has explained the circumstances that led to the killing of two suspected armed robbers and the arrest of three others in the Kumasi metropolis to Parliament.
Making a statement on the floor of the House on the matter, the Minister said prior to the unfortunate incident on the 7th of November, 2017, the Ashanti Regional Police Command had for some time received reports about the activities of persons in taxis and on motorbikes who pick, assault, rob, rape and sometimes murder their passengers.
He intimated that following these reports, the Police intensified their intelligence within the Kumasi metropolis and beyond in an effort to track down the suspect.
He added that based on the intelligence received, the Anti-Armed Robbery Squad arrested three suspects. They are Emmanuel Ofosu (a.k.a. Alhaji), Farouk Amadu (a.k.a. Burger) and Saliu Yakubu (a.k.a. Baba Tunde).
The Minister said during the arrest, on the 5th of November, 2017, an Opel Astra Taxi Cab with registration number GQ1474V was retrieved from Baba Tunde.
He added that the three suspects admitted their involvement in the ‘Pick and Rob’ cases using Baba Tunde’s said taxi cab. They also admitted to the murder of one Cecilia Boakye Fordjour at Ridge a suburb of Kumasi.
He stated that the three suspects further gave information of another group led by Awudu Osman and Lukman Mohammed. He said Alpha and Awudu Osman were arrested on the 6th of November, 2017. He added that a third suspect, Bala fled the scene, leaving a motorbike behind.
The Minister also told Parliament that during interrogation of Lukman Mohammed and Awudu Osman, the two admitted their involvement in a series of robberies using motorbike and taxis and also admitted robbing with the three suspects. He added they disclosed that they had two foreign-made pistols which they promised to assist the Police retrieve.
The Minister further indicated that the police took the suspects to their respective houses for a search and retrieval of the weapons but information of their arrests had got to their families who allegedly ransacked their rooms to retrieve any incriminating evidence before the Police got there.
He intimated that the suspects subsequently informed the Police that their accomplice, Bela, could be lured to a particular spot around 10:00pm and accordingly led the Police to the spot but Bela did not appear.
He said the suspects then decided to take the police to an uncompleted building around Sepe-Timpom where they claimed they had hidden the weapons. He added that the suspects further indicated if the weapons were not retrieved, their runaway accomplice will remove them.
The Minister also stated that on the 7th of November, 2017 while the police were busily searching for the weapons in the presence of the suspects, the suspects who were handcuffed individually attempted to escape from their control. He added that in order to immobilize them the Police fired at them but Awudu Osman died on the spot while Lukman died on the way to the hospital.
He said after autopsy on the 16th of November, 2017 the bodies were released, adding the autopsy report is yet to be released.
He informed Parliament that on the 9th of November, 2017, during police identification parade, ten persons who had fallen victim to their nefarious activities identified suspects Emmanuel Ofosu, Farouk Amadu and Saliu Yakubu as persons who picked, attacked, robbed and raped some of them.
The Minister indicated that on the 10th of November, 2017, the three suspects were arraigned before court and were remanded in police custody to assist in further investigations.
He said records available to the police indicate that one of the deceased, Lukman Mohammed has been on the Regional Police wanted list since the 16th of June, 2016 for his involvement in a robbery case that occurred at a bakery at Gyedi-Kenyasi.
He added that Lukman and his accomplices shot a worker, Aba Kyere in the left arm and took away a pump action gun and an amount of GH¢13,500.00. He said two of his accomplices; Farouk and Saliu are in prison custody. He added that two other accomplices in the robbery incident are at large.
The Minister revealed names of the suspects are also on a list of suspects allegedly involved in illegal acts of land guards in the Kumasi metropolis.
He cautioned the Police that the fight against crime must be pursued with due regard for the fundamental human rights of suspects.
On behalf of the government, he expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of alleged criminal offences who lost their lives. He expressed same to the families of suspects who died during the investigations.
Source:Â Ghanajustic/N.Cudjoe
