Police arrest five car snatchers

Sunyani, April 24, GNA - Police at Sofo line in Kumasi have arrested five alleged armed robbers, one of them a woman, who snatched a taxi cab at Abesim, near Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo Region. They are Isaac Kuma, 22, Etse Awusenyah, 24, Atsu Awusenyah, 24, Francis Acquaye 21 and Mary Fosuah, 19. Chief Superintendent Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that at about midnight on Sunday the robbers hired a Nissan Premier Taxi cab with registration number BA 677 X in Sunyani to Tyco restaurant and drinking bar on the Sunyani-Kumasi road.

He said on reaching the restaurant they asked the driver, Mr Andrews Frimpong to continue to Elena Guest House at Abesim. On the way to the guest-house one of the robbers who sat behind the driver removed a bicycle chain and tied the neck of the driver, while the rest also used other sharp implements to pinch other parts of his body.

Chief Superintendent Yohuno said the suspects then ordered him to stop or he would be killed and when he complied they pulled him out of the vehicle, dumped him in the bush and sped off towards Kumasi. He said a Good Samaritan saw the driver at the road side and brought him to the Police Station at Abesim to make a report to the police who immediately sent a wireless message to their counterparts in Kumasi.

The Police Commander said the police in Kumasi intercepted the vehicle at a check point at Sofo Line and the robbers were arrested. Chief Superintendent Yohuno added that the suspects had been brought down to Sunyani and had been detained to assist in investigations.

The Police Commander said the police were also searching for two other armed robbers who attacked and robbed Madam Akuah Nyamekye, Managing Director of 7/11 restaurant at her residence at Ohene Gyan in Sunyani.

He said after close of work at her restaurant on April 20 this year the robbers trailed her to her house and robbed her of jewellery, mobile phones, 900,000 cedis and some other personal belongings. Chief Superintendent Yohuno explained that the robbers entered Madam Akua's house with a vehicle and took her watchman hostage alongside her mother and other persons in the house before taking her to her bed room to collected the money and the other items.