Robbers now target churches

Sunyani, Dec 17, GNA - Some churches in Sunyani Municipality have been the target of armed robbers in the run-up to Christmas as worshipper in three churches were attacked within a week. Superintendent of Police Charles Antwi, Sunyani Municipal police commander, told GNA that reports made separately by leaders of the churches indicated that the robberies were carried out with the same method.

He said worshippers at Living Grace Ministry, Jesus Redemption Ministry and Church of Pentecost were attacked during midnight services. The police commander said leaders of the churches reported their cases to the police at about 0100 hours on different days. The leaders told police that four masked armed robbers took their watchmen hostage before entering the church.

The robbers, who were wielding guns and cutlasses, ordered the congregation, including the leaders, to lie down and collected their mobile phones, monies, watches and jewels.

After taking the booty from the congregation, they gave warning shots and vanished from the premises, he said. The police commander appealed to church leaders to inform the police about their night programmes during the Christmas so they would be provided with security.

He gave assurance that the police had stepped up patrols in the night to forestall the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents. In another development some passengers travelling on the Accra/Kumasi road were robbed of their mobile phones and monies by a group of armed robbers.

Mr. Frank Aggrey Fynn, Brong-Ahafo Regional Circulation Assistant of Graphic Communication Group, told the GNA that on reaching a place between Nkawkaw and Bereku at about 0100 hours on Monday, they saw about 20 vehicles parked by the side of the road and they thought one of them had been involved in an accident.

He said when the Neoplan bus on which he was drew near, they saw a lot of people lying on the ground and one of the robbers stood in front of the bus and ordered the driver to stop. The robber stood at the entrance of the bus and instructed passengers to come out and to drop their mobile phones and monies on the ground and lie down.

"Those who did not have any money or mobile phones were beaten. An old lady who claimed she did not have any money was stripped naked and her money, which she hand tied around her waist removed." "I felt for the woman and in an attempt to look at what was happening one of the robbers slapped me and shouted at me to put my head down," Mr. Fynn said.

The robbers later fled into the bush with huge sums of money and mobile phones.

Some people have appealed to government to allow soldiers to combine with the police to go on night patrols, on especially the Kumasi-Accra road during the Christmas festivities. Mr. Kwaku Senkyire, a businessman, expressed regret that the country had degenerated into such "a chaotic state" and appealed to the security agencies not to deal leniently with such economic saboteurs. "They (armed robbers) need to be finished wherever they will be found operating to serve as a deterrent to like-minded citizens or foreigners", he said.

Madam Grace Siriboe, a caterer, said she was scared to travel to Accra for her goods and also appealed for a reinforcement of the security on the country's major roads during the festivities to curb the activities of the armed robbers.

She also advocated for "instant justice" for armed robbers who would be caught in the act "because they are human beings who do not deserve to exist in society".