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The police have arrested a 26-year-old man, Emmanuel Tovor Akakpo, suspected to have murdered a commercial motorbike (okada) rider, Joseph Agbanu, aka Dokye, at Akatsi in the Volta Region on June 4, this year.

A second suspect, Francis Ahiatroga, 25, who was also planning to attack another okada rider in Ashaiman with the support of Akakpo, has also been arrested.

The two suspects, according to the police, were believed to be part of a criminal gang that had been terrorising residents of Akatsi.

Briefing

The Director-General of the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, told the Daily Graphic yesterday, that on June 4, 2018, the victim, alias Dokye, 25, was engaged by a customer to take him to Akatsi Anyieme.

He, however, said the lifeless body of Dokye was later found on June 5, 2018 with no trace of the motorbike.

Based on intelligence, Mr Yohuno said Akakpo was arrested at his hideout at Kasoa-Opeakuma on July 11, 2018.

Until his arrest, he said the suspect , Akakpo, had been on the wanted list of the Akatsi police for the murder of Agbanu.

Akpakpo

Mr Yohuno said police criminal records showed that Akakpo was a notorious criminal who broke jail at the Akatsi Police Station in 2013 while in police custody for stealing.

He said Akakpo was re-arrested and put before the Akatsi District Magistrate Court for escaping from lawful custody and was sentenced to two years.

On the substantive case of stealing, he said, Akakpo was sentenced to six months, having spent 13 months on remand.

He added that Akakpo was released from the Ho Central Prisons on November 24, 2017.

Mr Yohuno indicated further that it was after his release that Akakpo teamed up with two other accomplices to murder Agbanu at Akatsi.

Ahiatroga

On the arrest of Ahiatroga, Mr Yohuno said after the arrest of Akakpo, the police detected that he was communicating with another suspected armed robber at Ashaiman to attack another person.

He stated that the police subsequently arrested Ahiatroga after a sting operation.

Mr Yohunu said Ahiatroga, who hailed from Akatsi, was suspected to be among criminals tormenting the people in the area.

The two suspects, he said, had since been handed over to the Akatsi police for further interrogation.