Latest information reaching DGN Online indicates that about 10 persons were allegedly involved in the robbery that occurred at Afiadenyigba in the Keta Municipality over the weekend.
Although earlier reports had mentioned five suspected robbers, footage from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) retrieved from the crime scene suggests the robbers will number not less than 10, a police source revealed.
More so, one out of the five have been identified from the CCTV footage as of Sunday, October 3, 2021. The footage and other evidence are still being assessed to identify other suspects of the crime.
Police Announcement
The Ghana Police Service on Sunday morning announced on its official Facebook page that it had arrested five armed robbers last Saturday, September 2, 2021 at about 11.30pm at Afiadenyigba with the help of community members.
The Post which commended Police-Community partnership in maintaining law and order promised to update the public, yet information on the details have been scanty.
Although the Police did not share pictures of the five suspects in their custody, social media have been inundated with pictures and videos pointing to the five suspects that were arrested by the Police through the help of the youth in Afiadenyigba.
How it Happened
Community members narrated that at about 11:30pm last Saturday, robbers numbering about 10 or more attacked the house of one Azi Ganyo Sadako, a popular lottery merchant in the area.
Mr. Sadako who is the CEO of SVV Lotto Company, happens to be a close friend with the Keta MP, Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey whose home was also robbed in December 2020 at gunpoint.
Although no casualties were recorded, there were some injuries and bullet holes in the windows of the house. The robbers managed to destroy a security door of the house and made away with an undisclosed amount of money.
The gunmen who are suspected to be on a robbery spree last Saturday night are believed to have robbed a shop in the area and also shot into the vehicle (bonnet; a few inches of the driver’s side) of the MP, Mr. Gakpetor. The vehicle which was driven by the MP and has registration number, GW 937-2 has since been parked at the Anlo-Afidenyigba Police Station.
It is not clear how the chronology of the robberies occurred that Saturday night, but the youth in the area mobilized and managed to arrest five young men whom they suspect might have been involved.
They then handed them over to the police for further interrogation.
Police Assurance
When contacted, the Crime Officer of the Volta Regional Police Command, Chief Superintendent Mercy Wilson-Brown confirmed the robbery incident and the arrests. She promised to give more details after preliminary investigations are completed. She assured that thorough work will be done to identify and arrest all involved in the crime.
DGN Online sources point to the fact that since the five arrests were through the action of community members, some of the suspects may not have been involved in the latest incident. Instead, they may be known criminals in the area.
Meanwhile one of the suspects in Police custody has been identified as Eric Lumor, a popular serial caller believed to be affiliated with the NPP.
Ironically, Eric’s nickname “Dumevinyuiwo Dzenunya” means “Good citizens have become assertive” in English.
The five suspects who have been transferred to the Volta Police Headquarters are assisting the Police to apprehend all others involved in last Saturday’s robbery.
Keta Robberies
This latest incident will be the fourth robbery in the Keta enclave since December 2020 when the MP was robbed in his home. The youth after that incident called for the transfer of the Police officers at the Anlo-Afidanyigba Police station.
On August 9, 2021 this year, the Royal Energy-MakOlives Gas Filling Station at Tegbi-Xekpa was robbed. The gunmen who took away the safe containing an undisclosed amount of money also killed the security officer, Edem Kpodogah.
There was another robbery at the Shell Fuel Station at Tegbi-Ashiata this year. The Robbers also took away an undisclosed amount of money. In these earlier incidents, investigations are yet to be concluded as all culprits have not been arrested.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)