Agona Swedru, June 19, GNA - Residents of Agona Swedru in the Central Region are living in fear and panic following a rise in the spate of armed robbery in the area during the past one month.

Within one month, over 20 high profile business executives, government officials and students of some second cycle institution have been attacked and robbed of their valuable properties at gun point by unknown robbers. According to the Agona Swedru Police, the Finance Officer of the Agona West Municipal Assembly, the Manager of HFC Bank (Gh) Limited, an official of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), and the Managing Director of Pack Lain Supper Market were among the robbery victims.

He said on June 8, the HFC Bank Manager who has been newly transferred to Swedru, was on his way to his hotel after closing from work when he was attacked by the robbers and his Toyota Frontier car taken away from him. The police spokesman said about 12 girls of a private institution whose names are being withheld, were allegedly raped at gun point by the armed robbers when they stormed the girls' hostel at about 01.30 hours last Thursday.

He said the robbers attacked the Managing Director of Pack Lain Supper Market at Agona Swedru on 28 May, 2010 at his residence at the outskirt of the Municipality and took away his saloon car, an unspecified amount of cash and two mobile phones.

The Police Spokesman said the armed robbers attacked Mr Ato Munkaila, a local businessman at his residence and shot him in the abdomen when they could not find any money in his room. He is responding to treatment at the Agona Swedru Government Hospital, the police said.

According to the Police Spokesman, the two vehicles being used by the police for night patrols were not enough for effective anti-armed robbery operation because they could not cover all the areas. He, therefore, appealed to the Agona West Municipal Assembly, well-to-do individuals, and Philanthropists to help provide logistics to enable the police to conduct effective patrol duties to bring the situation under control.

Mr Jacob Felix Obeng-Forson, Agona West Municipal Chief Executive(MCE), told the GNA that an emergency Municipal Security Council Meeting was held on Thursday, June 17, to find a solution to the problem, but refused to elaborate. 19 June 10