Police kill armed robber, arrest two suspects

Koforidua, March 12, GNA - An armed robber was killed while four others escaped after engaging the police in a shoot-out at Suhum roundabout in the early hours of Friday. The body of the deceased, who is yet to be identified, had been deposited at the Koforidua Regional Hospital morgue.

Briefing the press at Koforidua on Friday, the Regional Crime Officer, Mr Richmond N.A.L Boi-Bi-Boi, said two suspects, believed to be connected to the gang of robbers, had been arrested. They are Kweku Ruben, 26, alias 'Mogya' and Twum Ampofo, also 26 years old.

Mr Boi-Bi-Boi said their arrest followed intensive investigations into four incidents of armed robbery in the Koforidua Municipality in the past week. For instance, he said, the police had picked information to Ampofo's cell phone inviting him to join the gang at Suhum roundabout for the robbery that Friday dawn. Mr Boi-Bi-Boi said the police therefore went to the Suhum roundabout and located the group waiting for Ampofo in a dark green Nissan Sunny saloon car with registration number GT8053 G. He said the gang opened fire and engaged the police in a shoot out when the police tried to arrest them.

Mr Boi-Bi-Boi said in the course of shootout, four members of the gang escaped and when the police got to the vehicle, they found one of the occupants of the car dead. He said a search on the vehicle later revealed three pistols with 16 live ammunitions. According to the Regional Crime Officer, two of the pistols were locally manufactured. Mr Boi-Bi-Boi said Ruben and Ampofo could not give the name of the deceased but admitted he had on various occasions participated in their operations.

The two suspects in their statement to the police also indicated that they either participated in the robberies that occurred in the Koforidua Municipality or received their share of the booty after the operations even when they did not take part. Mr Boi-Bi-Boi said investigations had revealed that one Onua, alias 'Play Boy', who lives in Dome near Accra, was leading the group. On behalf of the Police Service, Mr Boi-Bi-Boi thanked the public for helping them with information leading to the arrest of the suspects. He reiterated the determination of the police to provide the necessary security to protect the Koforidua Municipality from criminals.