Three suspects, who allegedly robbed a pharmacy shop at gunpoint, at Dansoman Exhibition, in Accra, have been arrested by the police.
Shamsu Alhassan,23 also known as (alias) Shaalolo, 23, Abdul Wahab Yakubu, 22, alias Emba, a commercial motor rider, popularly known as ‘Okada’, and Mumuni Iddrisu, 21, alias Toli, Okada rider, are in the custody of the police assisting in investigations.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, confirmed the arrest to Ghanaian Times, in Accra, yesterday.
She said on August 2, 2020, at about 5:20 p.m, the suspects conspired and robbed a pharmacy shop at Dansoman.
The Police PRO indicated that the suspects parked their unregistered royal motorcycle in front of the pharmacy shop, entered it and ordered the salesgirl to hand over monies to them at gunpoint.
DSP Tenge said Alhassan also entered the manager’s office and took an unspecified amount of money.
“In an attempt to escape, an alarm was raised leading to the arrest of Alhassan, and his accomplice Yakubu who tried to escape with a motorcycle was also arrested by patrol team,” she added.
She stated that Iddrisu was subsequently arrested on August 5, at Mataheko in Accra.
DSP Tenge said the suspect also allegedly snatched the motorcycle and murdered Ahmed Mohammed, on January this year, at Abossey Okai Fun Milk area.
She said the suspects were also reported to be engaged in series of armed robberies and snatching of motorcycles at New Achimota, Dansoman, Kitkat, Kaneshie and Awudome, all in Accra.
DSP Tenge said the police have retrieved an unregistered motorbike, polythene containing containing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp from the suspects.
The Police PRO said for the past four months the Command has noticed a trend in street robberies and attacks on motorcycle riders, especially ‘Okada’ riders.
She said the attackers hired the services of Okada riders to locations while accomplices waited at vantage points, and immediately the riders stopped they attacked them and took away their motorcycles.
DSP Tenge said the motorcycles were later sold as scrap or transported to other parts of the country.
She urged the public who have fallen victim to such attack to report to the police for immediate action.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
