Suspected ambulance driver ‘killers’ remanded

The Koforidua Magistrate Court “A” has remanded into Police custody two suspects arrested in connection with the robbery and killing of an Ambulance driver on the Aseeseso stretch of the Somanya to Adukrom highway in the Eastern region.

The accused persons – Umaru Abubakar, 26 and Osmanu Abukari, 25, were remanded Friday, February 12, 2021, for two weeks to reappear on February 26, 2021.

The plea of the suspects was not taken when they were put before the court.

The Prosecutor Sergeant George Defia prayed the court to remand them to assist Police to investigate and arrest the other accomplices at large.

According to the Prosecutor, Sergeant George Defia, the complainant in the case is Detective Corporal Christian Opoku Baafi a policeman stationed at Sefwi -Bodi near Juaboso in the Western North Region.

Other victims include – Priscilla Owusu a Nursing Mother, Racheal Owusu, a senior Emergency Medical Technician of the Ambulance Service and Deborah Teye Tsornyake, a trader.

The accused persons Umaru Abubakar, 26, and Osmanu Bukari, 25, are Fulani herdsmen residing in Akuni No. 2 community.

Background

On Thursday, February 4, 2021, at about 1:00 am the accused persons and six other accomplices now at large succeeded in robbing drivers and passengers onboard four vehicles – a commercial sprinter, Kia minibus, a private car and an Ambulance at gunpoint.

The robbery gang wearing black nose masks and wielding short and long guns laid ambush at Akuni No.1 village stretch of the Somanya to Adukrom highway where there is no phone reception, mounted roadblock and carried out their operation to rob their victims off their mobile phones and cash

The driver in charge of Yilo Krobo Constituency Ambulance vehicle with registration Number GV 644-20 conveying a pregnant woman who was in preterm labour (31 weeks) from Akuse government Hospital to Eastern Regional Hospital since Akuse Hospital has no incubator, unfortunately, bumped into the robbery incident.

The armed robbers signalled the ambulance driver to stop but when he realized they were armed robbers decided to move away which the robbers fired indiscriminately at the Ambulance. The ambulance driver was shot in the eye.

Some of the armed robbers rushed closer to the Ambulance Vehicle and upon noticing it wasn’t policed still went ahead to demand money from Priscilla Owusu the women in labour and Racheal Owusu, the senior Emergency Medical Technician of the Ambulance Service

who was taking care of the pregnant woman.

The robbers collected from Racheal Owusu at gunpoint Ghc11 and took her mobile phone and her mobile money password.

The Police officer – Corporal Christian Opoku who is the complainant in the case was also driving a Toyota Sienna vehicle from Adurkrom direction towards Somanya but managed to make U-turn and escaped upon seeing the robbers. He went to Lodge complaint at Adukrom Police station.

A victim who was in one of the vehicles robbed by the armed robbers got down from the vehicle after the robbers had fled and drove the Ambulance together with the injured officer and the pregnant women to Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital.

The ambulance driver was in critical condition but was resuscitated and referred to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital but died later on Saturday morning while the traumatic pregnant woman was referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua where she delivered.

The Police arrested the two accused persons upon tip-off but they denied their involvement during their caution statement.

REGSEC visit to Crime scene

Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional Minister-designate Seth Kwame Acheampong accompanied by the outgoing Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour together with Minister-designate for Local Government and Rural Development Dan Kwaku Botwe who is Member of Parliament for Okere, the Regional Police Commander DCOP Edward Akrofi Oyirifi, the District Chief Executive for Okere, Daniel Kenneth and some Security personnel on Wednesday visited the crime scene.

The entourage held an indoor meeting to strategize on ways to improve security on the stretch of the road notorious for highway robbery attacks.

They concluded that Police tents should be mounted on the stretch of the road for the deployment of armed police. Also, the stretch of the road must be re-engineered to grade the bushes which become a den for criminals.

The Chief of Aseseeso, Okatakyie Kusi Buadum Amoyaw V pleaded with the police to post Police Personnel to the Police station in the community completed but yet to be commissioned to help in responding to security threats in the area.

Delegation Commiserate with the bereaved family.

Government delegation led by the Municipal Chief Executive for Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo ,Emmanuel Tetteh Kupualor and Simon Kwaku Tetteh respectively as well as DCE for Ningo Prampram have visited the bereaved family at Ningo Prampram to commiserate with them.

The family called for swift investigation and arrest of the supports. The family also demanded compensation from the state.