Wawase youth block roads over robbery attacks, killings

Some irate youth in the Afigya Kwabre District town of Wawase in the Ashanti Region blocked all major roads in the town in protest against incessant robbery attacks in the area.

The latest is the killing of a 58-year-old woman by some unidentified men on Thursday, November 27, 2020.

The deceased, Adwoa Fosuah died on the spot after she was hit by a stray bullet when the gun-wielding men fired indiscriminately during the operation. An amount of ¢12,000 was stolen during the operation, police sources say.

The residents, however, burst into anger on Sunday night as they threatened to face an armed gang which had attacked Mpobi another adjoining community in the district.

“We just heard the robbers have invaded the next town [Mpobi] but we are facing them this time, one of the angry youth told dailymailgh.com as he wielded a sharp-edged machete in the middle of the road.

“The insecurity here is alarming. We won’t allow anybody to use this road if your movement raises suspicions. We are ready to face them”, another said.

Police officers who were deployed to the semi-urban community later cleared the road and maintained calm.

The Afigya Kwabre South District has witnessed several robbery and murder cases in recent times.

In April this year management and the staff of the Ankaase Methodist hospital threatened to lay down their tools if persistent robbery attacks on their facility and their staff continue.

The incessant attacks on people in the area led to the death of one member of staff of the hospital on April 10 this year after being shot weeks before.

According to the Medical Director of the facility, Dr Seth Sie Gomina, several efforts to draw the attention of health authorities and police in the region have failed.

“The effect on the staff in this hospital is that of fear and panic. The latter part of last year till now, about three or more of our staff have been affected. One of them has been killed. The person who has been killed was attacked about six weeks ago. He died on the 10th of April. If we keep on waiting and we don’t hear anything and armed robbers keep on terrorizing us on our roads, then we don’t have any choice. We have to get permission from authorities and then we leave. Because while taking care of other people, we cannot allow ourselves and our workers to be killed,” he lamented.

A few months ago, some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) were also attacked while they were returning from a campaign trip.

At least four persons sustained minor injuries in the process.

A Pentecost elder was also killed on his way home by an armed gang near Wawase. He was declared dead by medics when he was rushed to the hospital for treatment after sustaining gunshot wounds.