PHOTO: The Man Who Shot And Killed Visiting 25-Year-Old Dutch National

TWO persons, suspected to be members of a four-man robbery gang that allegedly murdered Afke Kuiper, a 25-year-old Dutch national at New Sebrepor near Michelle Camp in Tema, are in the firm grip of the Tema Regional Police Command, pending prosecution. Gideon Mikado, a 25-year-old resident of New Sebrepor and Benjamin Akambule, 26, an Ashaiman resident, were said to have accosted Afke together with six other Dutch and Romanian volunteers, who were conducting some research work on child labour at some fishing communities at Ada in the Greater Accra Region. The robbers, using two unregistered motorbikes, allegedly crossed the victims� Ford Wagon with registration number WR 2097 Z, driven by Afke, when the group was returning from Sege near Ada after some research work. The victims were forced to stop and Afke�s two mobile phones and an unspecified sum of money were robbed on March 8, 2013 at about 4:00pm before she was shot in the chest. Afke was said to have been rushed to the Tema General Hospital where she died shortly on admission, and her body was later deposited at the Police Hospital morgue in Accra for autopsy. The Netherlands Embassy in Accra, without wasting time, had the remaining six victims- Gorium Coring and Rocher Rebecca both Romanians, Tessa Slob, Janine Doot, Baisy Seauber and Marian- flown out, a day after the incident, to their respective countries. DCOP Maxwell Atingane, the Tema Regional Police Commander, addressing journalists in his office, stated that �on March 12, 2013, the police, acting upon intelligence, arrested Gideon Mikado at a hide-out at New Sebrepor�. According to him, a search conducted in the suspect�s room revealed eight compressed parcels of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, for which the suspect admitted ownership and had since been remanded by a Tema Court into prison custody to reappear at a later date. The Tema Regional Police Commander noted that his outfit, acting upon further tipoff, smoked out Benjamin Akambule at Ashaiman two days after the initial arrest. Both suspects were said to have been identified by photograph and physical identification by a witness in the case and would soon be put before court for immediate prosecution. DCOP Atingane cautioned the public to take their personal security seriously and always give information to the police that would lead to the arrest of miscreants in their vicinities. He assured the public that the police would provide security in Tema and its environs so residents could go about their normal duties without fear.