Residents of the Upper East region are in a deep state of shock after two men, said to be ex-convicts, robbed a 40-year-old woman at Estates in Bolgatanga, the regional capital, and still had an absolute luxury to rape her in a policed community.

Police say they have managed to arrest one of the suspects and a well-known electronic repairman alleged to have been stocking his shop with stolen items gladly received from the wanted gang.

Danteni Bugre, 30, was paraded Friday at the police regional headquarters, with a quarter of his face swathed in broadband plasters and a shaved circle of his head tagged with an asterisk of plasters. Beneath the plasters are bleeding wounds he reportedly sustained when he strongly objected to a peaceful arrest. He was paired with the repairer in old handcuffs as the Upper East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku, narrated the midnight rape and robbery operations that led to the arrest.

Police enraged over rape as perpetrator absconds

According to DCOP Afeku, the suspects hit their target on a rainy dawn, when no one could have heard a scream within the neighbourhood, as she was alone in a whole apartment. Three communication gadgets, including two mobile phones and a tablet, and Gh¢1,000 were forced out of her hands by her assailants who also allegedly raped her.

“When there was a heavy downpour, the two gentlemen, one of whom is in our custody, took criminal advantage of the heavy downpour and decided to break into the room of a woman aged about 40 with the help of some very sharp objects including knives. But the sad aspect, and the most serious aspect of interest, is one of these robbers raped their victim before bolting away with the booty.

“In fact, it struck the senses of the police and we decided to at all costs bring these perpetrators to book. With the help of the youth in the neighbourhood, one of the suspects, Danteni Bugre, aged about 30, was spotted in a drinking spot at the Estates hence was apprehended. He confessed to the crime but he explained that it was his accomplice (Nabil Mohammed) on the run who actually did the raping; but that is the subject of investigation,” the regional commander said.

Bugre, according to the commander, led the police to the abode of Nabil Mohammed but the armed huntsmen missed him “narrowly”.

Public warned to be wary of stolen items

The electronic repairer, Baba Sali, 42, was arrested at his residence after Bugre purportedly had told the police he was “the one who usually receives the items that they steal”.

The repairman was picked up and items including digital boxes, remote control devices, mobile phones and yards of cloth branded with the Ghana Health Service logo were retrieved from his residence. Some weapons including a dagger and a pistol, believed to have been seized from Bugre, were also on parade.

“He was also arrested with four mobile phones and some other items which you can see being exhibited around here. The suspect was able to identify four mobile phones which he had previously sold to this gentleman. And, then, he described Baba Sali as the anchorman- that is the word he used for him- the anchorman who always received such booties from their robbery expeditions. Please, take very good note of Baba Sali. It’s of public interest, so that everybody would know that he is the type that encourages criminal activities within our municipality,” DCOP stressed.

Rape victim traumatised

The two suspects had a rare moment of speaking to the media in front of security chiefs. Both the repairer and the robbery suspect denied police report of a criminal link.

Baba Sali identified Danteni Bugre as an unlicensed miner who only brought four mobile phones to him for repair and from whom he had wanted to buy one of the faulty phones. Bugre, in strong defence, affirmed that he was not involved in the Estates dawn raid and that the police had forced him to admit that he and the fugitive Nabil Mohammed were delivering stolen items to the repairer to resell to the public.

Meanwhile, police say the victim of the rape is traumatised. The two suspects in police custody are being processed for court whilst the hunt for the runaway accomplice reportedly is in full swing.