Armed robbers invade Suhum, residents panic

A group of armed robbers invaded Suhum at the weekend and succeeded in robbing three fuel filling stations, a pastor, a retired nurse, a chief and some National Service Persons of various sums of monies, including foreign currencies. They also stole personal belongings and assaulted some of the victims. Mr John K. Asumah, a member of the local neighbourhood watch committee, told the Ghana News Agency that the Police were to make an arrest. He said the first robbery took place when the armed robbers attacked the Allied Petrol Filling Station at Suhum �44� and made away with millions of cedis. The second robbery occurred at the Allied Filling Station at Suhum �Ali� where the robbers shot the watchman on duty, broke into the office and made away with all the day�s sales. Mr Asumah said the third robbery took place at the Total Filling Station at Suhum Okorase, where about seven masked armed robbers stole millions of cedis. He said the armed robbers also attacked the District Pastor of the Church of Pentecost and robbed him of huge sums of monies, including some foreign currencies and also assaulted his wife and the daughter in an attempt to rape them. Mr Asumah said the robbers later attacked the residence of the Kuukua Chief, a retired Nurse and some National Service persons and robbed them of their monies and some personal effects and additionally assaulted them. He said some of the victims were admitted at the Suhum Government Hospital. Mr Asumah said the robbers included young girls whose ages range between 16 and 18. They were armed with locally made pistols and other offensive weapons. He said at the moment, residents of Suhum are living in fear as a result of the nature of the attacks and appealed to the Inspector General of Police to equip the Suhum Police with the necessary logistics to be able to combat the crime wave. When the Suhum Police were contacted, a spokesman confirmed the cases and said the Police did not have a vehicle to patrol the town, especially in the night.