A POLICE officer accompanying traders from Buipe in the Northern Region to Sunyani is currently battling for his life at the Sunyani Teaching Hospital after robbers attacked the bus they were traveling on.
The armed Robbers shot the poloce officer, Samuel Atitsogbe, upon reaching Ashiemu on the Techiman- Sunyani Highway.
The police officer sustained severe gunshot wounds on the chest and wrist while the driver of the vehicle, Bright Fourjour, also sustained several gunshot wounds.
Head of Accident, Emergency, Trauma and Orthopedic unit of the Sunyani Teaching Hospital, Dr. Hasson Ayum Lanyor, who confirmed the incident to DGN said the officer is responding to treatment.
‘He was brought here and according to those who accompanied him armed robbers ambushed a vehicle on which he was escorting passengers and was short at but managed to escape.
“Luckily, his condition is stable, though he suffered chest wounds, it didn’t affect the lungs but small bones at the wrist were broken. We did first surgery and clean the wounds and we have managed him till now,” the doctor said.
The driver of the sprinter vehicle, Bright Fourjour, with the vehicle registration number AW 62-110-14 also sustained gunshot wonds.
Narrating the incident to this reporter, one of the passengers expalined that they were traveling from Buipe to Sunyani but upon reaching Ashiam on the Sunyani -Techiman Highway the driver realised the lead vehicle among other vehicles has been stopped and being robbed at gun point.
The police escort in the lead vehicle fired at them but his weapon subsequently failed him so he escaped through the nearby bush.
The driver of our vehicle, however in an attempt to change to reverse gear was shot at and our escort in our vehicle also responded but his gun also failed him at the second attempt.
Samuel Atitsogbe whose rank is unknown was overpowered by the robbers who shot at him and they threatened to behead him but he pleaded fervently for them to spear his life so he exchanged his service rifle for his life which they took and sped off living him to his fate.
The traders were then robbed, valuables including their money and mobile phones were taken.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee