One person has been shot dead by armed robbers at Ekye Amanfrom, a fishing community in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District in the Eastern Region.
A fully masked four-member robbery gang emerged on foot from the Ekye Market centre direction to attack Samuel Agbozo Enterprise, mobile money shop, and phone shop as well as a nearby provision shop.
The attack took place at about 7:30 pm on Saturday, October 9, 2021, amidst sporadic gunshots.
“The robbers, who were on foot from the Ekye Market, wearing a face mask that covers their head to the neck, wielding daggers and AK47, invaded Samuel Agbozo Enterprise amidst gunshots, destroying his glass showcase and took away the phones he had displayed for sale, as well as the mobile money cash.
“They also attacked a nearby provision shop and took away an unspecified amount of money into their bags and absconded into the bush. It was like a movie because people were selling around but nobody could face them,” an eyewitness, Solomon Ahenkorah told the press.
A young man on a motorbike, identified as Bright, oblivious of the robbery operation, was shot on his motorbike when he approached the robbery scene at the roadside.
The robbers absconded into the bush with an unspecified amount of money and quantities of mobile phones before the arrival of Police officers from Ekye Police station.
The motor rider, who was motionless and bleeding profusely from gunshot injury, was rushed to the Ekye Health Centre by the police but was pronounced dead on arrival.
That was the second time this year that a mobile money vendor has been attacked at Ekye Amanfrom.
The first attack occurred some six months ago when armed robbers ambushed and attacked a vendor who was on his way home after closing from work in the evening.
He escaped a gunshot but the robbers absconded with his money in his bag.
The Kwahu Afram Plains area has become notorious for highway robbery attacks which led to fatalities, injuries, and loss of property.
But, the new Inspector-General of Police, COP George Akuffo Dampare, upon assumption of office, deployed the Anti-Armed Robbery Taskforce to the area in August this year to deal with the situation.
The taskforce arrested some 26 suspects for illegally possessing weapons and also retrieved a cache of arms and ammunition from them.
The IGP and some members of the Police Management Board on September 22, 2021, embarked on a historic 36-hour ground operation visit to Kwahu Afram Plains North and South Districts and worked throughout the night to interact with Police personnel and the public for effective collaboration to enhance the fight against robbery attacks in the area.
Kwahu Afram Plains has since been peaceful but for the latest incident.
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