Residents of Affram Plains in the Eastern region are calling on the Inspector General of Police, David Asante Apeatu, to transfer some Police personnel in the area for allegedly aiding and abetting highway robberies.
The call has resurfaced following a similar one in 2016 which sparked violent attacks on the Donkokrom Police station after two Police Personnel who were arrested for robbing a bullion van escaped.
The Police station was torched while some 20 irate youth suffered varied degree of injuries including gunshot wounds.
The recent call by the residents has been necessitated by the increasing spate of highway robberies in the area which according to them is having negative impact on socio-economic activities .
The Affram Plains is one of the food basket areas of the country producing varied food crops, fish, livestock among others hence attracts many traders from across the country.
The robbers appear to have taken advantage of the brisk nature of business activities in the area and attacking traders on frequent basis.
“This area was not known for this kind of armed robbery but for the past three years, our market women are attacked almost every market day. So we want Soldiers on our road or the Police in this area replaced because they connive with the armed robbers,” Nana Kakari Ansong, Gyaasehene of Pitiku told Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent, Kojo Ansah who visited the area.
According to the residents, the robbers inhumanely attacked a patient on referral to hospital while Prison officers transporting inmate from ForiFori Prison Camp to Nsawam were also robbed taking away the Uniform of a Prison officer and other accoutrements.
The Queenmother of ForiFori community ,Nana Yaa Serwaa, who has suffered two robbery attacks with her daughter and loss a total of Ghc6,700 alleged some Police Personnel are involved in the robbery.
“The robbery in this area is alarming, I’m a double victim. I was robbed off my Ghc5,000. My daughter who sells clothes also had her Ghc1,700 taken away by the highway robbers. In my case, I saw a Policeman involved in the robbery. So the Police here cannot protect us “.
The Queenmother added that due to the robbery attacks, most viable markets are now collapsing as traders fear to trade in the area.
“Go to maame Krobo market now, farm produce are going waste, because buyers are not coming over fear of being robbed so we appeal to the President to intervene to beef up security here “.
Jeff Konadu, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the Ruling New Patriotic Party, also a native of ForiFori community whom the News team met in the area shared similar sentiment as the people.
According to him, the insecure atmosphere created by the robbery incidents is having negative toll on economic activities.
“Farmers have had their foods go bad because market women don’t come so this is a serious issue that we really want to bring to the attention of everybody for help. I have been in contact with the Regional Police Command for more men to be brought to Affram Plains so that they could help.
“Logistics is a very serious problem for the Police here I see a very large district and when you look at the number of cars they have it’s miserable so when robbery is going on by the time they get there, they are gone.So the armed robbers have a field day doing this robbery with impunity.”
But the Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police command , DSP Ebenezer Tetteh , said some of the robbery suspects with gunshot wounds were recently arrested.
He therefore asked residents to remain calm and corporate with Police to provide information about Police personnel they suspect to be involved in the robbery menace for further investigations by the Regional Command.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/Kojo Ansah
