A herdsman, Beira Ba Assane, who allegedly committed robbery by forcefully taking the keys to a motorbike from a new caretaker at gunpoint at Adaklu-Alavanyo, Volta Region, appeared in the Ho Circuit Court on August 3, 2023.
Suspect Assane, who did not have legal representation, pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery and illegal possession of a firearm.
He has been remanded in prison custody until August 18, 2023.
Sergeant Kwadwo Otibu-Gyan presented the case to the court, presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor.
The prosecution recounted that the accused had previously been the herdsman responsible for the kraal but had been dismissed by the rancher due to allegations of cattle rustling.
Ambush
According to the prosecution, on June 14, 2023, at approximately 4:30p.m, Assane ambushed the new caretaker as he was returning to the kraal from a nearby community on a motorbike.
The accused, wearing a mask and armed with a locally manufactured gun and a stick wrapped with barbed wire, stepped onto the rider’s path.
“He pointed the gun at the caretaker, demanding the keys to the motorbike,” the prosecutor said.
The prosecution further stated that an unexpected turn of events occurred as the caretaker displayed courage and engaged the accused in a fierce struggle. During the scuffle, the gun discharged, hitting the accused in the chest and stomach.
Escape
Despite his injuries, the accused managed to flee the scene, leaving behind the gun, barbed wire, a bag containing personal belongings, and his Burkinabe national identity card.
“A complaint was lodged with the police, leading to the caretaker, who was also the complainant in the case, receiving assistance from bystanders in apprehending Assane on June 27, 2023.”
He was subsequently handed over to the police. During the investigation, the accused confessed to robbing the caretaker of the motorbike at gunpoint and claimed ownership of the bag, its contents, the gun and the barbed wire found at the scene.
The discharged ammunition was also discovered by the police, and the gun was determined to be unlicensed.