Seven arrested over highway robbery

Seven armed robbers who allegedly mounted a road- block on the outskirts of Asiakwa on the Accra-Kumasi road and robbed passengers of monies and their belongings on Friday appeared before a Community Tribunal in Accra charged with conspiracy and robbery.

The plea of Ezeuduji Chijikoe, Mike Fiagbe, Joseph Okeke, all traders, Isaac Chidi and Chuks Eke, both barbers, Mohammed Uke, a student and Kelvin Ogbonnaya, unemployed were not taken.

They were remanded into prison custody by the tribunal, chaired by Mr Kwadwo Owusu to reappear on 25 October. Prosecuting Police Inspector Alice Yeboah said accused persons were all Nigerians except Fiagbe who was a Ghanaian.

Inspector Yeboah said on 28 June this year, the Police Patrol Team operating on the Accra-Kumasi Highway had information that a gang of armed robbers had blocked a section of the road at the outskirts of Asiakwa and were robbing passengers.

The police and military team rushed on the scene, but found out that the robbers had fled with a BMW car, which they had snatched from one Mr. Kwame Gyan, a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law. At the scene, the robbers fell a tree to block the road in order to carry out their act.

The security personal traced the BMW car to Amafrom, where they found out that the car had been abandoned after it had developed faults. The security personnel also found out that due to the fault on the car, the robbers sought solace in a school block where they shared their booty.

Prosecution said later in the day, the inhabitants of Amanfrom spotted and apprehended Chijioke, Okeke, Ogbonnaya, Fiagbe and Eke, who were attempting to escape. When they were searched one axe and two mobile phones belonging to two of the victims were found on them.

On 22 July, Uke was arrested at Segyimase, near Kyebi as a suspect in another robbery case, while Chidi was apprehended at Russia-Zongo in Accra with a locally manufactured gun.

Inspector Yeboah said Chidi told the police that with the exception of Uke, the rest took part in the robbery, adding that they met at a barbering shop to plan how they were going to execute their plan.