Correspondence from Upper East Region

The timely intervention of the Police in Navrongo has saved a suspected armed robber from being lynched by an angry mob at the Navrongo market.

The robber, who was identified as a resident of Sawaba in the Bolgatanga Municipality, was apprehended after snatching a wad of cash from a female trader at the busiest portion of the market, near the Ghana Commercial Bank branch.

Traders told GhanaWeb that the robber attacked the victim and took money which she had hidden in her brassiere and attempted to get away on a waiting motorbike.

They said the robber was given a hot chase and apprehended after an alarm was raised.

When GhanaWeb Journalist, Senyalah Castro got to the scene, the suspect had been beaten and dragged out of the market onto the Navrongo town – hospital road by the angry mob, where he was nearly lynched.

But personnel of the Police Service from the Navrongo command who got wind of the incident arrived at the scene and managed to secure the robber alive.

The suspect was whisked away in a white Police vehicle amidst strong resistance from the angry mob who demanded the release of the suspect to them. There was a brief altercation between the angry mob and the Police.

As the Police took away the suspect, residents roared angrily swearing to deal ruthlessly with any armed robber they apprehend in the area.

“God saved you, God saved you, thank God the Police have come. You would have smelt pepper and know that Navrongo is not a place to steal from”.

“Give him to us let us deal with him. The police will release him tomorrow and he will continue stealing. Let’s finish him once and for all”- the residents roared.

The incident comes a day after two suspected armed robbers were killed at Kologo, also in the Navrongo area. The suspects were killed after a failed attempt to make away with a motorcycle they seized from a resident on the Kologo -Naaga road.

The suspected robbers were killed and torched.

Activities of robbers have soared in Navrongo and other parts of the region. Within last week, there have been at least four reported incidents, with Teachers being targets in the latest attacks. A teacher was robbed behind the fence wall of the Navrongo Police station last week. Another was robbed this week Monday at Gumongo near Natugnia. Both victims had their motorcycles stolen.

Resident say they have lost trust in the Police to deal with the attacks. They have accused the Police of doing little to curb the rampant incidents even after the visit of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to the region.