Two killed in attempted robbery

Navrongo(UER), Aug.23, GNA - Two persons were killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Benz bus travelling from Tumu to Navrongo in an attempted robbery near the bridge over River Sissili last Sunday. Twelve others received injuries, three of them in critical condition at the Bolgatanga General Hospital. The deceased have been identified as Bashiru Oseni, a 40-year-old father of two and a businessman, and Ayi Sidiki, 23. Their corpses have been released to their respective families for burial.

Briefing the GNA, Police Sergeant Seth Sewornu, of Navrongo police, said he received a call in the morning from Mr Lawrence Webadoa, Assemblyman for Navrongo Central, that armed men had attacked a passengers' bus on the Navrongo-Tumu highway.

He said armed personnel were rushed to the scene but on arrival, the gunmen had fled into the bush leaving behind a dead man. Police Sergeant Sewornu said together with a re-enforcement team from Tumu and Bolgatanga, the police combed the area but could not find any trace of the robbers except a deflated bicycle that they used. He said Mr. Ghandi Akologo, driver of the vehicle with registration number AS 1382 F, told the police that when negotiating a curve after the bridge he saw a man armed with a gun emerging from the bush. Mr Akologo said the armed man stood in the middle of road and started firing indiscriminatingly at the vehicle, which compelled him to hide under the steering wheel whilst driving towards the armed man amidst the firing.

He said in the process some of the bullets shattered the windscreen of the bus and hit Bashiru, who was sitting behind the driver. Mr Akologo said sensing danger the armed man retreated from the road as the vehicle passed by whilst another armed man started firing at the right side and the back of the vehicle resulting in one of the bullets also hitting the head of Ayi, who died whilst being conveyed to the hospital.

Police Sergeant Sewornu said this was the second time in less than two weeks that armed robbery had occurred on the road. He noted that due to lack of means of transport the police could not patrol the area to scare away armed robbers.