A driver’s mate has allegedly been strangulated to death by armed robbers who attacked two fuel filling stations at Oborpah, a farming community along Oterkpolu to Odumase Krobo highway in the Eastern Region.
The three masked suspected robbers wielding pistols reportedly strangulated a driver’s mate sleeping under one of the limestone trucks parked at Safety Filling station after they mistook him for a security man on duty.
The robbers first attacked the Safety fuel filling station then later leaped to Pacific Filling stations which are few meters apart and closer to a Police checkpoint on the road and made away with a total amount of over Ghc21,000. The robbers who were on foot fled into the bush before Police came to the scenes.
Dademantse of Oborpah Nene Agbertey Tetteh told Starr News due to failure by the owners of the filling stations and limestone truck drivers to foster effective collaboration with the community they could not call for immediate help from the community to chase the robbers.
He said the youth in the community have been helpful in arresting suspected thieves and cattle rustlers at night in previous incidents. Exactly a week ago on Saturday, August 14th 2021, a fuel filling station at Asenema near Adukrom Akuapem was similarly attacked by arm robbers who made away with GHC 1200.
The Eastern Region has recorded high cases of highway robbery this year leading to fatalities, injuries and lost monies and personal effects.
As a result, the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr.George Akuffo Dampare has deployed 126 troops of the Anti-Armed Robbery Squad (AARS) to the Eastern Region to clamp down on rampant robberies.
The AARS special force is to augment the capacity and capabilities of the Eastern Regional police command to deal with the menace.
The contingent is led by Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohonu, and assisted by the Director-General of Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Mohammed Fuseini Suraji .
However, the Anti-Armed Robbery squad deployed to the Eastern region came under attack by highway robbers on Akyem Ettukrom to Bunso highway.
The robbers allegedly wielding AK47 were on the road Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at dawn to rob commuters.
The robbers upon seeing the Police Bus transporting the personnel to their Operational areas opened fire on the bus which the police quickly retaliated.
The gunfire exchange lasted for few minutes but the robbers fled into the bush after some sustained injuries.
The Police personnel combed the area and mounted a search in the bush and nearby houses and some health facilities but could not find the suspects.
Police retrieved five spent shells of AK 47 rifle at the scene.
The scene was the exact area two highway robbers -Haruna Amadu, 25 , and Joseph Nyira ,25 were arrested on June 5,2021 after killing a trader in a robbery attack on the road with their accomplices at large.
