DCOP George Tuffuor
The police in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital, have apprehended some suspects believed to be behind the incessant robbery and attacks on students and residents, particularly those living in and around the tertiary institutions and estate communities.
The suspects who are 10 in number were arrested on the dawn of last Thursday, August 30, during a dawn operation.
The swoop which was executed by a team of officers from the Municipal Police Command invaded the hideouts of the suspected criminals and picked them up one after the other in areas such as Dave and Trafalgar near the hostel of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) and the Ho Nursing Training School as well as areas around the Ho Technical University.
Confirming the operations to the press, the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP George Tuffuor, said the operation was launched after a considerable period of intelligence gathering and planning.
He said the 10 (between 18 and 20 years), who were all on the wanted list of the police in the municipality, include Isaac Okai alias Top Shatta, Ebenezer Adjei, Kpeyibor Stanley, Bismark Dogbe, Selorm Gizah Asem, David Dasilvera, Osman Anthony, Delali Gagba, Ankrah Sedinam and Agbesi Kwao.
The suspects who were arraigned before a court in Ho were later scheduled for an identification parade last Wednesday. The police said details of the identification parade would be made available soon.
In recent times, there have been several reports on robbery and burglary in Ho, especially the robbing of residents and students of their belongings usually in the evenings and some times during the day.
Most of the robbery reports as gathered by DAILY GUIDE occurred around the Ho Technical University (VORADEP Village, SSNIT Flats, Maryland, Mawuli Estate), Ho Nursing Training School (Summer Light to Medical Village road) and UHAS (Trafalgar area through to Dave).
According to some students and residents who are victims, the suspects often lay ambush along these areas, particularly new hostels with weapons like knives, machetes and guns. They pounce on their victims and collect any valuable items they find such as laptops, mobile phones, money, among others. They would then run into a nearby bush or hop onto a motorbike and abscond. Victims are tortured when they attempt to resist the robbers.
By Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)