Bawku Police arrest run-away driver

Bawku (U/E), March 10, GNA- A driver of a cargo truck that attempted to smuggle fuel from Bawku to neighbouring Burkina Faso last month but got burnt on the way, has been arrested by the Bawku police and placed in custody.

Abubakar Yakubu, 39, was picked from his hideout at Tempane near Garu following a tip-off, and would soon be put before court. His mate however is still at large.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Eklo, Bawku District Crime Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Bawku on Wednesday. He said the driver had admitted he was transporting fuel to neighbouring Burkina Faso at the time of the accident but could not tell the quantity involved.

It would be recalled that on February 12, this year, a cargo truck with fuel concealed under food items and cement caught fire on the outskirts of Bawku town when one of its front tyres got burst. Six persons on board the truck sustained severe injuries but the driver and his mate absconded. Four of the six victims who were admitted at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital have been discharged while the remaining two are responding well to treatment.

In a related development, another hit-and-run driver of a tipper truck that ran over a Prisons Corporal, Emmanuel Buabeng in Bawku town on February 4, killing him instantly, has also been arrested by the police.

Adamu Zakari Akologo, 26, was arrested when he surrendered himself to the Garu police a week after the incident. He has since been granted bail, but ordered to report to the police every Monday.

ASP Eklo said Akologo told the police in his statement that he fled from the accident scene for fear of a possible mob attack. The driver attributed the cause of the accident to his inability to control the steering wheel due to a sharp curve.

The Crime Officer indicated that Akologo would also be arraigned when police investigations into the case were completed.