The Aflao Police with assistance from the Military and National security last Wednesday evening arrested seven persons suspected to be part of an armed robbery gang who have hijacked the country’s eastern border and terrorising innocent individuals including immigration officials.
Their arrest comes barely 24 hours after the Volta regional Minister, Helen Adwoa Ntoso, visited the area and charged the security personnel to take drastic measures to clamp down on the increasing criminal activities along the border.
The suspects which include two hardened criminals on the radar of the police are Freeman Obed, 28 years old; Anani Atoku, 26; Samuel Amedzoneku, 26; Eric Henyo, 25; Kudanu Kroshie, 36; Sewornu Emmanuel, 25 and Koffie Henyo, 28.
Briefing the Minister and her Deputy, Francis Ganyaglo, the Regional Police Commander, ACP Peterkin Yentumi Gyinae, said the suspects were brought to the Regional Police Headquarters brought by the Regional Security Coordinator, Esseney Yentumi and William Akator of the National Security, accompanied by some military and police officers from Aflao in the Ketu South district.
According to ACP Yentumi Gyinae, the suspects were arrested after a distress call was made to the Aflao Sector Commander of the Military concerning an ongoing robbery at a place called Flihokpe, near the Diamond Cement Factory.
The suspects, who had in their possession one machete, three knives and a parcel of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, had allegedly attacked Festus Atisu and Atsu Kweku at Flihokpe, which is along the Ghana-Togo border and seized an amount of GH¢100.00 and CFA15,000.00 from them.
Madam Ntoso commended the collaborative efforts of the security agencies that led to the arrest of the suspects and urged them to continue until sanity prevails in the area.
She disclosed that steps are being taken to beef up the number of the security personnel at the Aflao border and its environs.
Meanwhile, sources say the suspects had been transferred to the regional police headquarters due to purported interference by some opinion leaders in the area.
Nigerian Human Traffickers
In a related development, two Nigerians, Francklin Chinezie, 25 years old and Kingsley Ochukwu Onyeji, 28, who were allegedly trafficking seven Nigerians aged between 20 and 22 years from Edo State to Abidjan in Cote D’voire, were nabbed on Wednesday at the Immigration checkpoint at Sogakope.
They have admitted to the offence of human trafficking in their caution statement and have been duly arraigned before a court of law. Victims say the suspects told them that they were being sent to France for ‘greener pastures’ only for them to find themselves in Ghana.
