Police are under pressure to get a grip on the rising insecurity
• The subject of insecurity continues to gain traction due to recent events
• A key one being the Jamestown bullion attack that claimed two lives – a police escort and a trader
• Crime stats show that at least one robbery has been recorded between January and June 2021
Talk of insecurity is fast becoming a daily concern from the political class, through the security ecosystem and among the general populace.
The June 14 murder of a police escort and a hawker when armed robbers attacked a bullion van in Jamestown has all but heightened the concern because of the manner in which the attack was staged.
Even as police continue efforts to arrest the perpertrators and as families of the deceased grief for their loss, analysts are calling for the head of the chief security officer of the country, IGP James oppong-Boanuh.
He has in response made a ‘no crime only in heaven’ comment that has received heavy backlash but he seems to stick to his view.
According to our checks, there has been at least one robbery incident in each month of this year with January recording six cases. June at the mid-way had recorded at least seven reported attacks.
GhanaWeb looks back at robberies that have rocked the country in June 2021.
Driver of Nissan Pathfinder attacked on GIMPA – Fiesta Royal road
The police increased patrol on the GIMPA – Fiesta Royal road stretch after suspected robbers attacked the occupant of a Nissan Pathfinder recently.
According to reports, they threw a rock at the car in a bid to get the driver to slow down so he could be robbed. Police have subsequently asked that the stretch be better lit especially at night.
Armed robbers raid forex bureau close to the police headquarters in Accra
In what was seen as perhaps the most audacious robbery of June, armed robbers attacked and burgled a forex bureau in Accra at a location that was close to the police headquarters.
The two men on motorbikes stormed the bureau and made away with an undisclosed amount of money on June 9 making their way through heavy traffic according to eye witnesses.
Armed robbers attack bullion van in James town
The Jamestown bullion van heist claimed two lives – a police escort and a trader – as the bike riding robbers sprayed bullets on the van driver who received live-saving care from medics at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
Two tellers on the Cash-In-Transit company Mon-Tran escaped physically unhurt but had to be given psychological attention, the robbers are on the run with police placing a 20,000 cedis bounty on information leading to their arrest.
Armed robbers attacked forex bureau operator at Pig Farm junction
On the same day at Pig Farm junction, robbers on motorbikes also attacked a man believed to be a forex bureau operator who they had ostensibly tracked from a bank.
They shot him before taking his bag which contained an undisclosed amount of money, the victim was rushed to the 37 Military Hopsital but died a day later according to reports.
Unknown gunmen kill woman at the Kumasi Airport roundabout
Police on June 15 confirmed the death of one Bendicta Pokua Sarpong after her husband reported a suspected contract killing of his wife at the airport round about in Kumasi.
She was driving a Range Rover when the attackers hit, she was rushed to Komfo-Anokye hospital where she died.
Robbers involved in daylight operation in Nweneso
There has been other incidents like a Rainbow Radio report about how a pregnant woman was forced into labor after robbers attacked a motor bike transporting her to the hospital at Nweneso in the Atwima Kwanwoma district of the Ashanti region.
Deadly Buokrom mobile money heist
Still in the region, a man was earlier this month killed whiles another sustained gunshot wounds after four armed robbers attacked a mobile money vendor in Buokrom making away with over 140,000 cedis.