Ablekuma bullion van attack: Blame police high command - Security policy expert

A security policy expert, Anthony Acquaye, has squarely placed the blame for the gruesome killing of one of its officers at the doorsteps of the high command of the Ghana Police Service.

The deceased officer, identified only as Amoah, was attacked and fired at multiple times while he was in the passenger seat of a bullion van that had gone to a popular fuel station at Dansoman to collect money.

In CCTV footages that have since gone viral, some four men atop two motorbikes, went directly for the policeman in the front seat of the white van, firing at him until he succumbed to death.

But reacting to the incident, which the police have announced is under investigation, Anthony Acquaye said that the top hierarchy of the police service have failed to prioritise the safety of their own men.

“Having noticed the poor-quality bullion van in question in the video footage and the police officer shot without wearing armoured vest and ballistic helmet has triggered me to ask the Ghana Police high command on how well do they ensure their men and women adhere to the right operating standard procedure in such an important operation involving life and money.

“Understanding the police service as an institution on how it stands by its directives and ensures its full implementation in this poor-quality bullion van issue has become very problematic and questionable,” he said in a statement made available to GhanaWeb.

Anthony Acquaye, who also works at the Centre for Security Dialogue and Peace Advocacy (CSDPA), further questioned the commitment of the service in ensuring that it provides the best protection for its men in such situations.



He also questioned the police high command on why it continues to allow its men to go on such assignments when it once stated that it would no longer allow such assignments if institutions do not provide them with standard protection.

“Referring to the press statement signed and released by the then Director of Public Affairs, Superintendent of Police, Sheilla Kessie Abayie-Buckman (Mrs), dated 14th June, 2021, with reference number PAD/PRESS/VOL3 178, having it 3rd paragraph read as, ‘The IGP is also reminding the Association of Bankers to provide a fortified armoured vehicles for carting currencies by the close of June 2021 as earlier agreed between them and Police Service, lest the Police withdraws its officers for escort duties.’

“So, the question I’m asking is, if the Police Service High Command are aware of how the security of cash movement and escort officers are critical in the banking business and for that matter have warned the Association of Bankers on the deadly threat the sub-standard vehicles used by most of their banks in transporting of their money pose on personnel life and the money, why then do the Police high command allow them to continue using them?” he added.

Besides, the security policy expert raised concerns on why police personnel on such assignments still do so without bullet proofs.

“Again, why are some police officers on these special duties not given bullet proof vests and ballistic helmets to wear for their personal protection,” he added.

He has therefore called on the police service to prioritise the security of its men, stressing that it should enforce its directive on the use of the armoured bullion vans by the banks or withdraw its officers on such duties entirely.

What we know so far on the bullion van attack that killed a police officer:

Time of the attack

Even though reports of the incident got into the media late afternoon, the incident is said to have happened at around 1:30 pm according to eye witnesses, a claim buttressed by Star Oil statement.

The oil company confirmed thus in a statement: "Star Oil is deeply saddened to announce an armed robbery attack at our Ablekuma Fanmilk station on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at approximately 1:30 PM.

What the attackers took away

From our review of CCTV footage, the robbers made away with two bags, the contents of which remain unknown at this point.

Star Oil further confirmed in their statement that the van had just arrived to collect money when the attack was launched.

"The robbers attacked the van a few minutes after it arrived for cash collection at the station," their statement of June 22 stressed.

Officer identified by first name only

The slain officer who was retrieved from the van after the robbers had bolted has been declared dead.

Even though the terse police statement on the incident did not fully identify him, Star Oil's statement provided a single name as Amoah.



Police launch manhunt for robbers

Contrary to some social media reports that the police had arrested the robbers, their statement released hours after the incident disclosed that a manhunt was on for the killers.

"The Police are on a manhunt to arrest a gang of four robbers who attacked a bullion van at Ablekuma Fanmilk, a suburb of Accra and shot the Police escort who has unfortunately passed on," the statement read.

Eyewitnesses speak on operation

Eyewitnesses in the area told the media about how the operation unfolded stating among others that the sound of repeated gunshots had them scampering and taking cover.

That after the robbers had bolted, most people rushed to the scene where they saw the policeman slumped in the car seat.

"It was there that some of the people carried him into a car and rushed him to the hospital," one of the eyewitnesses told Metro TV news.



Read Anthony Acquaye's full statement below:

ABLEKUMA BULLION VAN ROBBERY IN FOCUS: BLAME POLICE HIGH COMAND FOR THEIR INABILITY TO ENFORCE THE RIGHT OPERATING STANDARD PROCEDURE TO SAFEGUARD ITS OFFICERS - Security Analyst

Seriously, it is too sad to have another gallant police officer killed in a sub-standard bullion van robbery attack at Ablekuma-Fanmilk. It on record that, between February 2021 and February 2022, four separate bullion van robbery attacks were recorded across Greater Accra Region. A critical analysis on the video footage intelligence recorded by the closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the filling station showed clearly how the robbers with their two motorbikes ambushed the bullion van, shot the police officer on target whiles the driver run for his life.

Having noticed the poor-quality bullion van in question in the video footage and the police officer shot without wearing armoured vest and ballistic helmet has triggered me to ask the Ghana Police high command on how well do they ensure their men and women adhere to the right operating standard procedure in such an important operation involving life and money.

Understanding the police service as an institution on how it stands by its directives and ensures its full implementation in this poor-quality bullion van issue has become very problematic and questionable.

Referring to the press statement signed and released by the then director of public affairs, superintendent of police, Sheilla Kessie Abayie - Buckman (Mrs) dated 14th June, 2021 with reference number PAD/PRESS/VOL3 178 having it 3rd paragraph read as "The IGP is also reminding the Association of Bankers to provide a fortified armoured vehicles for carting currencies by the close of June 2021 as earlier agreed between them and Police Service, lest the Police withdraws its officers for escort duties"

So, the question I’m asking is, if the Police Service High Command are aware of how the security of cash movement and escort officers are critical in the banking business and for that matter have warned the Association of Bankers on the deadly threat the sub - standard vehicles used by most of their banks in transporting of their money pose on personnel life and the money, why then do the Police high command allow them to continue using them.

Again, why are some police officers on these special duties not given bullet proof vests and ballistic helmets to wear for their personal protection.

It is important to state that, protecting, detecting and deterring are the ultimate security strategies that can safeguard our gallant police personnel in an unaware situation like this, with they are alertness in combating coupled with the presence of the armoured bullion van with its security features such as its tracking device, its bullet resistance glass and siren could have deterred the robbers in the first place or the tracking device could have tracked them by alerting the danger as they continued to follow them with their motorbikes or probably it could have been very difficult for the robbers to open the door of the armoured bullion van and shoot the police officer. It is prudent to establish that, if the police officer was wearing the armoured vest the bullet probably wouldn't have penetrated into his body.

Ghana Police Service must as a matter of urgent enforce its directive on the use of the armoured bullion van by the banks or withdraw its officers on such duties.

Signed

Anthony Acquaye (MA in Security, KAIPTC)
Security Policy Expert
Center for Security Dialogue and Peace Advocacy (CSDPA)
0556783703

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