2 govt officials escape death from armed robbery attack

Two government officials in the Bono Region narrowly escaped death, when they were caught up in a robbery attack on the Fetentaa portion of the Berekum-Drobo highway, in the region.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that Mr Andrews Bediako, the Jaman South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and Mr Solomon Owusu, the Jaman North District Chief

Executive (DCE) were returning from a meeting in Sunyani, the regional capital, to their districts, when they encountered a group of armed robbers.

Narrating his ordeal to the GNA, Mr Bediako said the incident happened on Tuesday, July 16, between 4.30pm and 5pm at Fetentaa.

According to him, the fully armed robbers, about five in number, had targeted market women and traders, who were returning from Drobo and Sampa to Berekum and Sunyani, at the Fetentaa portion of the stretch, near the Fetentaa Refugee camp, in the Berekum West District.

“They just appeared from the shoulder of the stretch, fired gunshots sporadically and signaling us to stop. They even hit and broke my windscreen with lumber, however we managed to speed off from the terrible scene,” Mr Bediako said.

He mentioned that in the process, the engine of the vehicle of Mr Owusu broke down, but they all managed to escape from the robbery scene unhurt.

“We quickly rang the police and signaled all the vehicles which were coming from the opposite directions. Sensing danger, the robbers fled into the bush,” Mr Bediako said.

He said “we later got the information that the robbers attacked a motorcycle rider and collected his mobile phone and money.”

Mr Bediako expressed concern about the surge of armed robbery on portions of the Berekum-Drobo stretch due to the worsened condition of the road, and called for the rehabilitation of the road.

He also urged the police to beef up patrols on the stretch, to protect traders and other road users from criminal activities. —GNA