Road users must be disciplined – Eastern Regional Minister urges

The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has urged road users especially those who use the Eastern corridor roads to be responsible and disciplined on the roads.

Over 150 people have died from road accidents in the Eastern region during the first quarter of the 2021.

Reacting to the high number of road accidents in the region, the minister said on Morning Starr on Monday, June 7, that there is high indiscipline exhibited by most road users leading to several deaths on the road.

Mr. Acheampong added that everyone must be responsible and respect all road regulations, “the over speeding is killing more people. Road users should also check their cars before taking off, Vehicles are machines and should be serviced. We have Police patrolling on the road and we will protect everyone.”

Touching on the increasing Highway robberies in the region, the Minister said two suspects have been arrested in connection with the market woman who was shot by robbers on the Akyem Ettukrom to Bunso stretch of the Koforidua to Bunso Highway Sunday dawn.

He added that several ammunitions have been retrieved from the robbers with investigations still ongoing.

The Notorious Highway robbery gang terrorizing residents in Abuakwa North and South Municipalities in the Eastern killed the woman after blocking the Akyem Ettukrom to Bunso stretch of the Koforidua to Bunso Highway. According to witnesses, the robbery operation started at about 3:00 am with the suspects succeeding in robbing many commuters.

The robbers escaped into the bush before the arrival of the Police patrol team. The Police patrol team, however, in collaboration with a section of the youth in the community combed the bush at site two near Bunso and after many minutes and arrested two suspects – Haruna Amadu, 25, and Joseph Nyira, 25.

Two unregistered single-barrel shotguns, one machete, cash sum of GhC257.00, one itel screen touch mobile phone, three-neck bags containing two voter ID cards belonging to two of the victims, assorted mobile sim cards belonging to victims and a black student bag containing shirts of the suspects were retrieved.

Some of the victims who lodged a formal complaint at the Bunso Police station identified suspect Haruna Amadu as the one who shot and killed the woman.

A search in a bag in possession of Joseph Nyira revealed a kente material shirt which the victims say was worn by suspect Haruna Amadu at the time of the robbery.

However, the suspects have denied their involvement in the robbery.

Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh said, the suspects are in Police custody assisting the investigation and will be put before court on Monday.

He added that all the exhibits have been retained for evidential purposes.

At least 10 robbery attacks have been recorded in two Municipalities in the last three months.

On May 24, 2021, one person was shot during a similar highway robbery attack on Koforidua to Akyem Kukurantumi road in the Eastern region.

The robbers mounted a roadblock about 4:30 am at Barfuor Nkwanta near Sorkode Dwaso junction stretch of the road where Police mostly conduct checks on commuting vehicles.

About 20 vehicles were allegedly robbed by the armed robbers who made away with a total of about Ghc50,000 according to a victim.

On Wednesday, April 28, 2021, the robbers attacked a Guest House and a gas filling station at Akyem Kukurantumi about 8:00 pm amidst the firing of gunshots, they also broke into a restaurant of the guest house, caused damage to the doors and took away Ghc137 from the gas filling station office.

They also took away a single-barreled gun which was placed against a wall by the night security man who took to his heels during the robbery operation.

Fortunately, no casualties were recorded.

Seven empty BB cartridges, one live BB cartridge and three wads were retrieved at the scene. The robbers escaped in a dark saloon car.

The robbery attack happened barely three weeks after a similar fuel robbery led to the death of a 32-year-old Nuhu Yashawu at Akyem Osiem a nearby community.

One person also sustained gunshot wounds in that robbery incident which occurred on Monday, April 5, 2021, at about 7:20 pm where four men armed with three pump action guns and a knife attacked Goodness Energy Filling station in the community.

The robbers absconded with an unquantified amount being the night sales of the fuel station. The robbers also took away a Motorola phone belonging to the night security man Adamu Zakari,30.

Police retrieved five (5) empty cartridges at the scene. Three Gold Dealers in Kibi and Asikam were also robbed amidst the firing of gunshots by the suspects.