Eastern Police worried over spate and nature of armed robbery cases

Koforidua, Sept. 5, GNA - The Eastern Regional police, has expressed concern about the spate and nature of armed robberies cases calling on all to join the fight against crime in the region.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) George Anko-Bil, the Regional Commander, described the situation as disappointing saying the "macho-sadistic" nature of the cases required a resolute response from society.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, he said, the sexual violence assault by the "prowling miscreants" on their victims showed that police alone should be left to handle the matter. ACP Anko-Bil said at least three households in the New Juaben Municipality and elsewhere in the region, were attacked a fortnight ago, with the robbers not only taking away huge sums of money, but also raping victims.

He said some of the victims had suffered emotional anguish. He said in one instance, a victim was subjected to severe beatings for refusing to have sexual intercourse with his daughter. Mr Anko-Bil was also not happy that there had been a decline in watchdog committees and neighbourliness among Ghanaians of late and noted that some of the cases could have been prevented through such means.

He said the robbers had their way because an entire neighbourhood failed to respond to the pleas of the victims. ACP Anko-Bil said although his outfit had apprehended more than 75 per cent of persons engaged in robberies, he had sought for additional resources to intensify town patrols.

He said the police in the region would prevent the robberies. ACP Anko-Bil said although the police were yet to determine whether a syndicate was behind the recent events, his command was leaving nothing to chance to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.