Three "robbers" gunned down

Three suspected armed robbers were killed in a gun battle with a police patrol team from the Accra Regional Police Command at Newtown near Kotobabi in Accra last Friday evening.

The armed robbers, who were using unregistered motorbikes and allegedly wielding three fully-loaded pistols, were said to have attacked a drinking spot near Newtown when the police were called to the scene.

Two foreign pistols, one locally made pistol, two unregistered motorbikes, 10 cartridges out of which three had been used and six 9mm ammunition, were found on them after police managed to overpower them.

One of the armed robbers who had a tattoo on his hand with the words “wo suro wundi” and a handcuff drawn on his left arm, identified as “Biggy” the gang leader, was said to be part of another gang that broke into the vehicle of Albert Kan Dapaah at Tesano last year and robbed him after the former Member of Parliament had parked his vehicle in front of a supermarket to purchase some items.

Briefing the media last Saturday, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said police recently intensified patrols at Kotobabi, Dzorwulu, North Kaneshie and Newtown due to the recent robberies recorded in these areas.

Last Friday around 9:25pm while a police patrol team from the Accra Regional Police Command was moving towards Dzorwulu from Kotobabi, it received a distress call that the three men using two unregistered motorbikes had attacked a drinking spot at Newtown.

Upon seeing the police, the three armed robbers opened fire while attempting to escape.

The Police returned fire on the suspected robbers who were hit by the bullets.

The robbers, who got injured, died on the way to the Accra Regional Police headquarters.

They were later identified as Master Awudu, an ex-convict who was granted bail through the Justice for All Programme, after spending some time in prison for robbery.

Another suspect identified as a Fulani man but also known as Bad Boy or Rigid, was said to be an experienced motor rider who was also arrested last year by the Kumasi police together with a colleague named Dead Story.

He was granted bail by the court while his accomplice, Dead Story, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

The third suspect who had the ‘wu suro wundi’ inscription was said to be the leader of the gang who surveyed a place before the robbery operation was carried out.

The three were said to have been part of those who shot and killed a Japanese national at Tesano after robbing him with the use of a motorbike.

They were also said to have attacked Emmanuel School at North Kaneshie and killed a 29-year-old woman in the process.

DCOP Yohuno hinted that the police have also introduced motorbike patrol system to track down criminals who use motorbikes in their operations.

The bodies of the three have been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue for preservation.