Police Kill Two Fulani Robbers

The Tema Regional Police highway patrol last Thursday night killed two of nine alleged highway armed robbers on the Accra-Aflao highway after the robbers allegedly engaged the former in a fierce shoot-out. The police later managed to arrest the other seven robbers after gunning the two believed to be Fulanis and who, together with their colleague robbers, were said to be travelling in a Hyundai mini bus from Ashaiman to Dawa in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region. The names of some of the grabbed robbers were given as Mohammed Ali Ibrahim, 22, and Bukari Amadu, 32 (both Fulanis), Shehu Umani, 20; Ali Umaru, 21; Ali Mohammed, 21 and Yibo Ali, 24. Briefing a section of the press last Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Maxwell Atingane, the Tema Regional Police Commander, narrated that about a week ago his outfit had intelligence information that a group of armed robbers from outside Tema and Ashaiman planned to converge in Ashaiman to undertake highway robbery on the Accra-Aflao stretch. The Tema Regional Police command thus intensified patrol of the highway by deploying more men and the use of informants in order to curb the situation, DCOP Atingane noted. Closely monitoring the activities of the suspects, the nine robbers, travelling in a Hyundai mini bus on May 31 and driving off from Ashaiman to Dawa to attend a wedding the next day, June 1, were caught up by the police patrol team at the Kpone Barrier, he narrated. He said the police intelligence they received revealed that the passengers happened to be the gang of robbers who had been on their (police) monitoring radar, adding that upon ordering the driver to stop �and before the police could get close to the vehicle, the robbers opened fire on them.� DCOP Atingane said, �The police returned fire, killing two of the robbers, and managed to arrest seven others. Upon a search of the vehicle, SB shotgun and one locally-manufactured pistol, five rounds of 9mm live ammunition, 18 rounds of BB cartridges, a knife, two torch lights and four mobile phones were found.� The police found cash of 120 Naira on Ali Umaru, GH�4 and 27,000 CFA cash was found on Bukari Amadu and GH�5 and 224,000 CFA was found on Ali Mohammed, the commander noted. Commending the general public for reposing confidence in the police, DCOP Atingane said the suspects would be put before court for prosecution and the remains of the two killed would be conveyed to the Police Hospital Mortuary in Accra. A number of people thronged the premises of the Tema Regional Police Headquarters to witness the feat of the area�s police.