Accra, May 26,GNA- Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of the Interior, on Friday said the anti-armed robbery war being waged by the police would be stepped-up until the menace wanes.

He therefore, called on Ghanaians to help the police through material donations, cooperation and intelligence gathering to stamp out "the sickness".

The Minister was responding to comments and contributions made by members following a statement made by Mr. Moses Dani Baah, Member for Sissala East, on the "spate of armed robbery in the country." The member said on Sunday May 7, robbers ambushed a bus at the Forest near Nakong Village between Tumu and Navorongo.

'At the dawn of that fateful day, the victims, all passengers travelling on a mini bus from Tumu to Bolgatanga had their vehicle ambushed; all passengers were terrorized and had all their money and mobile phones seized at gun point."

He said: "As if that was not enough, an innocent young lady among the victims was stripped naked and forced to have sex with one of the male passengers for attempting to conceal her mobile phone." "The phone that had been hidden on her person had unfortunately rung in the process, thus attracting the attention and anger of the robbers." According to the member, on the same day, two private vehicles were attacked on the same road after their tyres had been shot at. Their owners were robbed of their money and other property. Mr. Dani Baah said a victim account of the crime indicated that the robbers spoke non-Ghanaian languages.

He said cattle rustling was another menace confronting the people as " many a time, people woke up from bed to find their ranches broken into and their cattle taken away."

"In all, these crimes as described by the victims and witnesses, have very semblance of cross-border elements."

He called on the Police to set up police post at Nakon and Kunchogu where the road branches to villages in Burkina Faso. "The Police should step-up highway patrols in the area and more efficient means of transport and communication equipment should be given to the Police command inTumu to link them to Bolgatanga and Wa which are about 150 Kilometres apart. He appealed to the citizenry to readily volunteer information on suspicious and unscrupulous characters for the police to suppress the crime wave.

Mr Mahama Ayariga, Member for Bawku Central, suggested that the police and military personnel sit on buses to give appropriate response to any attack of highway-armed robbers.

He blamed the rise in armed robbery to the proliferation of light arms in the Sub-Region, drug abuse, unemployment and the lack of programmes to help the idle youth spend their energies and thoughts. He said a time was coming when Ghanaians would have to debate "the right to own a gun" in view of the brutality and sophistication of armed robbery in the country.

Mr Edward Salia said there was much evidence to suggest that the Fulani herdsmen are gradually becoming a threat to Ghanaians in their own country.

He called for stricter measures to screen non-Ghanaians wishing to take up residence in the country.