National security declares war on criminals

The killing of five police officers within two months, and the recent gruesome murder of a sub-Chief at Gomoa Akranmang, Nana Yaw Egyir, has rankled the National Security Council, headed by Albert Kan Dapaah, which has now adopted a new strategy to flush out criminal elements putting fear and panic in Ghanaians.

Corporal Agatha Nana Nabin with the Northern Regional Police Command was killed whilst manning a police checkpoint in Tamale.

A few days later, Corporal Bernard Antwi, 37, then attached to Manso Nkwanta Police Divisional Command in the Ashanti Region, was also killed.

Days later, General Lance Corporal Alhassan Asare, 35, attached to the Akyem Swedru Police, was shot and killed.

Sergeant Michael Dzamesi and Lance Corporal Mohammed Awal, who were with the Kasoa Police, were also gunned down recently. Though some of the perpetrators of these crimes have been arrested and are currently facing the law, there are still apprehensions among members of the public

To let Ghanaians know that their safety is paramount to National Security, a combined team of military and police personnel, yesterday, carried out simultaneous operations in the southern half of the country and succeeded in arresting a number of criminal suspects who are being screened for possible prosecution.

Whereas 400 military and 200 police personnel carried out a swoop on criminal hideouts at Gomoa Budumburam, their counterparts in the Western and Bono Regions, who were armed to the teeth, were also searching various notorious suburbs in Sunyani and Sekondi for criminals.

The Gomoa Budumdrum operation led to the arrest of over one hundred suspected criminals, whilst that of Sunyani pounced and arrested sixty four criminals, among them ten females.

The Sunyani operation, which was led by Major Frank Adams and DSP Sulley Salifu, was conducted at the Nana Bosoma Market and Zongo Extension (Bolaso), started at 3:30am and ended around 7:00am yesterday, September 12, 2019.

The Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Nana Kwaku Duah, told the press that the operation was mounted to help deal with crime in the municipality, and added that operation would be sustained to ensure such nefarious characters are completely weeded out.

“As you can see, we are very serious in fighting crime, and persons who have been picked up in this morning’s swoop will go through identification (screening), and the other processes will follow,” he said.

He appealed to the general public that “anyone who has fallen victim to any criminal activity in the municipality should come to the Regional Police Command to assist in screening those captured during the operation.”