Strange reason for armed robbery

Two of five armed men, who were arrested last Friday at Amanfrom, near Kyebi in the Eastern Region, after robbing some traders at Asiakwa, have claimed that they decided to commit the crime because they needed money to process travelling documents.

They made this known when Chronicle had the opportunity to interview them after court proceedings at the Koforidua circuit tribunal yesterday. One of the two, Ezeudji Chijioke, alias Aziz, who gave his age as 27 years, said he had graduated from a university of public administration in Nigeria and is married with two children, who are currently in Gambia.

He said he decided to go back to Nigeria but did not have enough money so he went instead to Mali where he met someone who brought him to Ghana. Ezeudji, who claimed this was his first time of committing a crime, told this reporter that he was not happy about the way Ghanaians were looking down on them (the robbers).

“God did not create anyone to be an armed robber. Why, Ghana and Nigeria, are we not brothers?” he asked. Another one, Kelvin Ogbounaya, 22 years, from Abia State also said he is a tailor but became stranded when someone whom he gave money to help him process his documents back to Nigeria, bolted.

The rest are, Chucks Eke, 20 years, Mike Fiagbe, 30 years, and Joseph Okeke, 25 years, from Anambra State, Nigeria. The robbers had allegedly also robbed Mr. Kwame Djan, a law lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, of ?4 million and seized his car, which was used as a get-away vehicle. When this reporter attempted to get some comments from Mr. Djan, who was present at court, he just smiled and said “no comment.”

The armed robbers, who were charged on two counts of conspiracy and robbery, have been remanded in prison custody to appear on July 10.