Armed robbers attack STC bus

Nangodi (U/E), May 24, GNA - Four armed robbers on Wednesday dawn laid ambush and attacked an Intercity State Transport Company (ISTC) bus at the Nangodi Forest section of the Bawku/Bolgatanga highway and robbed passengers of their cash and other personal belongings. The driver of the bus with registration number GW 4190 T was shot at a close range when, in his attempt to park the bus properly, was mistaken by the robbers as an attempt to flee.

The bullet hit his right arm and as he bled in pains, the robbers robbed the passengers of their properties and cash. The scene of the incident is less than 2 kilometers from a police checkpoint meant to scare armed robbers.

The bravery of two young men, Issahaqu Seidu and his junior brother Mohammed Tijani, who were on another ISTC bus from Kumasi saved their colleague passengers and a GNA reporter from falling into the hands of the robbers.

The fortunate passengers were on two big buses, a private saloon car and another ISTC bus from Accra on which the reporter was.

Mr. Seidu, who was sitting behind the driver, said just as they were negotiating the curvy section of the road in the forest, they saw that tree stumps had been used to barricade the road whilst an articulated truck had been parked almost in the middle of the road.

This compelled the driver to slow down and four masked men, armed with locally manufactured guns, emerged from each side of the road and demanded that the driver should stop the vehicle.

He said when the driver attempted to park properly, one of the robbers thought the driver wanted to escape and he shot him in the arm at close range.

The vehicle nearly run into a ditch but a spare took hold of the steering wheel to prevent any calamity.

The robbers entered the bus and demanded cash and mobile phones and later ordered the passengers to disembark.

It was at this stage that Seidu and his brother escaped without the notice of the robbers and met the Benz bus approaching the scene of the robbery.

Seidu said the Benz bus driver initially refused to stop but when they shouted 'armed robbers, armed robbers!' he stopped and they informed him of the incident ahead of them.

They drove back to the Zuarungu Customs checkpoint where the police was called but before they arrived on the scene the robbers had escaped into the bush.

Mr. Mohammed Aworlo, the spare driver, confirmed Seidu's narration and added that the robbers were believed to be Fulanis, judging from their accent even though they spoke in Twi and Moshie.

He said all the passengers were molested and some severely beaten because they could not produce the monies on them.

He said after the operation, which lasted for nearly 20 minutes, the robbers entered the forest and vanished before the police appeared. Chief Superintendent Peterkin Gyinae, Bawku Divisional Police Commander, said that the spare driver has lodged a complaint at the station and that all would be done to find the perpetrators. The injured driver has been sent to the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital where he is in a stable condition and is due for an operation to remove the pullets from his arm.