The deceased criminals
Two members of a suspected robbery gang operating in the Bolgatanga municipality and its environs in the Upper East Region have been killed by the police in a shootout.
Two others in the four-member gang escaped with gunshot wounds and AK47 assault riffles.
The four robbers, on July 3 were pursued to their hideout by armed police personnel at about 10:00 pm, in a rocky cave in the Tanzue community.
According to the Upper East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Yao Afeku, the robbers were preparing for an operation and on noticing the presence of the police, they opened fire and the police returned fire, killing the two suspects.
They were rushed to the Bolgatanga Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary. One of them has been identified only as Alemina.
The leader of the gang (one of the escapees) and one of the deceased, Alemina, are believed to be the robbers who attacked a Burkinabe DAF Truck at Bukere on May 13, 2016.
They shot and killed the driver of the truck, injured his mate, and took away the money on them.
The latest operation they are believed to have embarked on was at the Zamse Senior High-Technical School, where they reportedly attacked the security man on duty on July 1, 2016 and shot him in the lower abdomen in the process.
After the shootout on July 3, five motorbikes believed to have been snatched from their owners, one locally manufactured pistol, a large number of AK 47 empty shells, a military cap and T-shirt, four screw drivers, one police whistle, 10 mobile phones, a double-edged machete, a laptop believed to belong to a police woman, jewelries, a flat screen TV set and a decoder were found at their hideout.
DCOP Simon Afeku has appealed to traditional healers and shrine operators to report anyone who comes to them with gunshot wounds. He has also called on the public to be alert and report any traditional healer or shrine operator they suspect to be harbouring a wounded person.
FROM Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga