Residents of some upscale neighbourhoods in Accra were gripped by fear as a string of armed robberies swept through their communities, leaving victims traumatized and authorities on high alert.
Among those targeted were prominent individuals, including Matilda Yaaba Amissah-Arthur, the wife of the late Vice President of Ghana.
Yahuza Osumanu, a self-proclaimed businessman residing at Pokuase-ACP, allegedly embarked on a string of residential robberies between the second quarter of 2023 and December 2023, terrorizing residents in affluent areas such as Airport, Cantonments, Tesano and Ridge.
According to details presented in court by police prosecutors, Osumanu's modus operandi involved forcefully entering the homes of his victims while brandishing a firearm, coercing them into surrendering their valuables under the threat of violence.
On December 5, 2023, Matilda Yaaba Amissah-Arthur fell victim to Osumanu's brazen attack when he allegedly entered her residence, wielding a gun and issuing threats.
During the ordeal, Mrs. Amissah-Arthur was subjected to a harrowing experience as the assailant ransacked her home, making off with valuable possessions.
“On 5th of December 2023 at about 4:00am the Tesano Police Division received information to the effect that the complainant Madam Matilda Yaaba Amissah-Arthur had been robbed.
“On receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel was dispatched to the crime scene but on their arrival, the accused person had fled. The complainant told the police that the accused person was wielding a gun and he threatened to kill her if she did not comply with his instructions.
“She placed a call to the police guard on duty at her residence and asked him to look out for the accused. The guard spotted the accused person in the compound while he was trying to escape with the safe. He gave the accused a chase but the accused abandoned the safe and managed to escape,” a police fact sheet presented to a court in Accra stated.
The robberies were not isolated incidents. On September 17, 2023, Augustine Kwesi Okere reported to the Airport Police that he had been robbed at gunpoint in his residence, losing two Rolex wristwatches and a significant sum of cash.
Subsequent incidents on December 4 and 5, 2023, saw Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman, becoming victims of similar attacks. The accused made away with expensive jewellery, electronics and cash after threatening them with a firearm.
Margaret Alice Shaw's home was invaded on December 11, 2023, where Osumanu allegedly looted valuable items, including a Rolex watch and jewellery, before fleeing the scene.
Police, during their investigations, obtained crucial evidence, including CCTV footage linking Osumanu to the crime scenes.
They identified him as the prime suspect, known for his involvement in a series of residential robberies in affluent neighbourhoods.
“On the 12th of December 2023, the police gathered information that the accused person Yahuza Osuman was the one robbing inhabitants of Accra and that he was at Dome Pillar 2.
“On the 13th of December 2023, the police acting on a search warrant proceeded to House No. DNC 34, Dome Pillar 2, which was the hideout of the accused, but they met his absence. They proceeded to Tantra Hill and arrested one John Dela Sarbah, the shopkeeper of the accused person.
“He led the police to a two-bedroom apartment where the accused person lived with his family but when they arrived there the accused person had escaped. The police opened the apartment forcefully and a search conducted revealed three power motorbikes, a toy gun, assorted jewellery, some electronic devices, a jackknife, one unregistered Toyota Prado vehicle, one unregistered Lexus vehicle and three other motorbikes which were retrieved from the house,” police prosecutors said.
Following a widespread manhunt, Osumanu was apprehended on December 15, 2023, in Kasoa. He was found seated in a vehicle and promptly arrested for interrogation.
“On the 15th of December 2023, the police received information that the accused person was hiding at Kasoa. The police proceeded to Kasoa and met the accused person seated in the front passenger seat of a grey Honda CRV vehicle. The police team stopped the vehicle, arrested him and took him to the CID headquarters to assist in investigation,” the prosecution noted.
During questioning, Osumanu reportedly confessed to his involvement in the robberies, admitting to using a toy gun to intimidate his victims. He also identified himself in the CCTV footage captured at the scenes of the crimes.
Further investigations uncovered a trail of ill-gotten gains, with Osumanu allegedly acquiring multiple properties through his illicit activities.
His gains from the robberies include thousands of local and foreign currencies as well as expensive watches and jewellery and phones.
TWI NEWS
Read the prosecution's full report below:
Augustine Kwesi Okere is a businessman residing at Kacela Courts Apartments at Airport Residential Area, Accra.
Complainants Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman are husband and wife residing at Zollink Apartments in Cantonments, Accra, Complainant Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur was the wife of the late Vice President of the Republic of Ghana residing at Tesano, Accra and complainant, Margaret Alice Shaw is a 76-year-old woman residing at Alexander Nest, Ridge, Accra.
The accused person Yahuza Osumanu is a self-acclaimed businessman residing at Pokuase-ACP.
Between the second quarter of the year, 2023 and December 2023, the Police CID received several complaints of residential robberies perpetuated by a single armed man around Airport, Cantonments, Tesano and Ridge.
On the 17th of September, 2023, complainant, Augustine Okere reported to the Airport Police that at about 2:30am that morning, his residence at Kaecla Court Apartments, Airport Residential Area was robbed. On receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel from the Airport Police Division was dispatched to the crime scene.
The complainant told the police that the accused person, entered his room, pointed a pistol at him and demanded money and other valuables. He was robbed of two (2) Rolex wrist watches valued at $38,000.00 USD and $23,000.00 USD and cash in the sum of GHC2,000.00 and £3,500.00.
On the 19th of September, 2023, the owner of the Kaeela Courts Apartments Dr. Abu Sakara Foster furnished the police with a pen drive which contained a CCTV footage of the accused person.
On the 4th of December, 2023, the police received a distress call from the complainants Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman to the effect that they had been robbed.
On receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel was dispatched to the crime scene but on their arrival, the accused person had fled. They told the police that the accused person pointed a pistol at them whiles demanding money and other valuables and succeeded in robbing them of a Cartier wrist watch valued at Nine Thousand United States Dollars ($9,000.00USD), an iPhone Pro Max valued at One Thousand United States Dollars ($1,000.00USD), a Cartier black pen valued at Five Hundred United States Dollars ($500.00USD) and a gold chain valued at Five Thousand United States Dollars, ($5,000.00USD) all belonging to Daniel Kwame Osafo.
The accused person also made away with jewelries valued at Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($50,000.00USD) and a Cartier wristwatch valued at Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($10,000.00USD) belonging to Tracy Osei-Hyeaman.
The CCTV footages at the premises were obtained and reviewed. On 5th of December 2023 at about 4:00am the Tesano Police Division received information to the effect that the complainant Madam Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur had been robbed.
On receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel was dispatched to the crime scene but on their arrival, the accused person had fled. The complainant told the police that the accused person was wielding a gun and he threatened to kill her if she did not comply with his instructions.
She placed a call to the police guard on duty at her residence and asked him to look out for the accused. The guard spotted the accused person in the compound while he was trying to escape with the safe. He gave the accused a chase but the accused abandoned the safe and managed to escape.
On the 8th of December 2023, the police obtained CCTV footages from the crime scene and reviewed same. The accused person was identified in the CCTV footage as Yahuza Osumanu, who had been on the police radar for his involvement in series of residential robberies at Cantonments, Airport Residential Area, Ridge and Tesano.
On the 11th of December, 2023, the Papa 51 police patrol team received information about a robbery incident at Ridge. On receipt of the information, the patrol team proceeded to the crime scene. When they arrived at the scene, they met the complainant Margaret Alice Shaw who informed them that she was lying on her bed when the accused person entered her room, pointed a gun at her and instructed her to hand over all her money and valuables to him.
She told the police that the accused person ransacked her room and made away with a Rolex watch valued at Seventy Thousand United States Dollars ($70,000.00USD), a Panerai watch valued at Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars ($15,000.00USD) belonging to her son-in- law, David Adjaye, jewelleries valued at Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars ($15,000.00USD) belonging to her daughter Asheley Shaw Scott and cash in the sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHC1,500.00).
An initial assessment by the police revealed that the accused person gained ingress into the house through the victim’s window in the kitchen which was not properly locked. The police took photographs of the crime scene. That same day, the police returned to the crime scene with Crime Scene Management Experts. They processed the scene, reviewed the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) at the premises and obtained copies of the CCTV footage.
On the 12th of December 2023, the police gathered information that the accused person Yahuza Osuman was the one robbing inhabitants of Accra and that he was at Dome Pillar 2.
On the 13th of December 2023, the police acting on a search warrant proceeded to House No. DNC 34, Dome Pillar 2, which was the hideout of the accused, but they met his absence. They proceeded to Tantra Hill and arrested one John Dela Sarbah, the shop keeper of the accused person.
He led the police to a two-bedroom apartment where the accused person lived with his family but when they arrived there the accused person had escaped. The police opened the apartment forcefully and a search conducted revealed three power motorbikes, toy-gun, assorted jewelleries, some electronic devices, a jack knife, one unregistered Toyota Prado vehicle, one unregistered Lexus vehicle and three other motorbikes which were retrieved from the house.
On the 15th of December 2023 the police received information that the accused person was hiding at Kasoa. The police proceeded to Kasoa and met the accused person seated in the front passenger seat of a grey Honda CRV vehicle. The police team stopped the vehicle, arrested him and took him to the CID headquarters to assist in investigation.
During interrogation, the accused person admitted robbing the complainants. He told the police that he went on the robbery operations with a toy gun to prevent any resistance from the complainants. He identified himself in all the CCTV footages from the various scenes. He also led the police to the various crime scenes and demonstrated to the police how he gained ingress into the various houses to rob the complainants.
Investigations have revealed that the accused has over the period acquired a number of properties through the unlawful activities of robbery.
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