Alleged national security officer remanded for robbery

An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday remanded one Issaaku Zibrim, a 32-year old alleged National Security Officer on charges of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.

Issaaku was said to have conspired with one Simon now at large to rob one Chief Sugru Laman of an amount of GH¢70,000.00, at knife and gun point. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The court remanded him into custody, and adjourned the matter to May 11, to decide whether to grant him bail or not.

Police Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu, Prosecuting, said the complainant is a businessman and lives at Westland Accra, while the accused person is a National Security Officer.

He said the complainant has a parcel of land at Avenor Articulator Line Accra.

Prosecution said somewhere in July 2017, the accused including Simon and others now at large armed with guns and cutlasses attacked the complainant and his workers on his land.

He said Issaaku and Simon being the leader demanded GH¢30,000.00 else either they would prevent him from working on the land or kill him.

Mr Adu said the accused and his accomplices held the complainant hostage and escorted him to his bank to withdraw the GH¢30,000.00 for them before they set him free and warned him never to inform the police.

He told the court that, as if that was not enough, Simon now at large and the other accomplices in February 2018 organised themselves to the site and again threatened the complainant and demanded GH¢40,000.00.

The complainant out of fear of losing his life gave GH¢40.000.00 to Simon on the instructions of the accused who was calling and threatening the complainant on phone to pay the money or else lose his life.

He said on April 6, Issaaku and his accomplices again went to the complainant’s site to attack his workers the complainant this time around mustered courage and reported the case to police leading to his arrest.