ARMED ROBBERS BURNT TO DEATH

One of the two suspected armed robbers, who have been alleged to be terrorizing residents of Ayigya Zongo and Affordable Housing near Asokore Mampong, was Monday morning burnt to death by angry residents.

The other one, who had deep cutlass wounds on his head, hands and at the back, is currently on admission at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

Police arrival

But for the timely arrival of the police, he too would have been killed by the angry mob who decided to mete out instant justice to them.

The deceased, who has been identified only as Yussif, together with Joseph Salifu, who is in a critical condition and one other now at large, were alleged to have tried to snatch a bag containing a laptop from a student at around 4:30 am at gun point.

The victim was alleged to have raised an alarm which attracted residents to the scene who chased the suspected robbers.

The residents, who claimed to have had enough of armed robbery in the area, gave them a hot chase.

Luck eluded the two as they were caught by the residents and beaten up mercilessly after which kerosene was poured on them and set ablaze.

Confirmation

Confirming the incident to the Daily Graphic, the District Commander of Tech District Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Ransford Nsiah, said Salifu was able to survive because the residents did not have petrol and had to rely on kerosene, “which is not as combustible as petrol and as such did not burn faster.”

He said the burning of the suspects took place some 600 metres away from where the robbery was said to have taken place.

According to him, information gathered indicated the robbers were three and one managed to escape but the two were rounded up.

He said the police was yet to make any arrest and no one had made any report to the police about any attempt of theft.

He said when the police got to the scene, Yussif had already given up the ghost but Joseph was still breathing and had to be rushed to the ICU of KATH where he is currently receiving care.

He, however, doubted if he would make it “due to the nature of the injuries sustained and the amount of blood that he has lost.”

Action of residents

According to ASP Nsiah, the residents claimed they have suffered one form or the other at the hands of tugs who have been terrorizing them.

He reiterated the call on the public not to take the law into their own hands and mete out instance justice to alleged criminals.

He suspected that their action might have been out of anger and frustrations.

Appeal

He pleaded with them to always hand over suspected criminals to the police to conduct more investigations as killing them “does not solve the problem. They may not be alone and we need to get all those behind the scene as well.”

Credit: Daily Guide

POLICE OFFICER, 5 OTHERS ARRESTED FOR TOLL BOOTH FRAUD

Six people including a Police Officer and two toll booth attendants have been arrested at the Senchi ferry site in the Eastern region for collecting tolls without issuing tickets.

Three drivers have also been arrested for conniving with the syndicate to evade payment of tolls.

The Asuogyaman District Commander of the Police Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD), ASP Akwasi Yeboah told Starr FM’s Eastern regional correspondent Kojo Ansah that the suspects will be prosecuted.

“[for] some drivers who are supposed to pay Ghc16, we saw a 10 Ghana Cedi ticket…it’s a bad practice and we have to step in. It is a crime and we have to delve deep into it.

“The Highway authority or the government per [their] agencies here who are responsible for this ferry would ensure that the right is done,” ASP Yeboah said.

The District Chief Executive for Asuogyaman Thomas Ampem Nyarko has also asked the Ghana Highway Authority to sit up and check fraudulent activities at the toll booths.

Credit: Starrfmonline.com

TOP CIVIL SERVANT ON REMAND FOR DEFILING GIRL, 14

The Volta Regional Director of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mathew Oyih, was yesterday remanded in custody by the Ho Circuit Court for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old junior high school student.

Although he pleaded not guilty to the charge, the court, after hearing the evidence of the victim in camera, remanded the accused to reappear on April 10, 2015.

Before then, counsel for the accused, Mr Emil Atsu Agbakpe, had applied for bail, describing the facts of the prosecution as fabricated.

However, the trial judge, Mr Emmanuel Ayesu-Essampong, asked the victim to give her evidence to enable him to arrive at a decision on the bail application.

After the in-camera sitting, the judge denied the accused bail based on the evidence before the court.

Facts

Presenting the facts of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr Isaac. A. A. Ahor stated that in July 2014, a witness in the case introduced the victim to the accused as her younger sister.

Since then, the 51-year-old civil servant had been inviting the victim to his house for sex after offering her money.

According to Mr Ahor, in February 2015, the victim went to Mr Oyih’s house and returned home late after the accused had sexually assaulted her.

He said when the complainant, the girl’s elder sister, allegedly confronted the accused, he vehemently denied the charge.

Report to DOVVSU

In March 2015, he said, the victim missed her period and informed the accused person.

Suspecting that the victim might be pregnant, Mr Ahor said, the accused allegedly gave the girl some medicines and instructed her to swallow two and insert two into her sexual organs to abort the pregnancy.

He told the court that the victim, after taking the said drugs, rushed home and showed the remaining medicines to her sister.

On March 9, 2015, the victim was rushed to the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho after complaining of abdominal pains.

He said a report was then made to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) on March 23, 2015 and the victim was given a medical form to attend hospital, where she was examined.

He said following a report issued by the hospital, the accused was arrested.

In his caution statement, the accused denied the offence but admitted that the girl was his friend.

Defence

Meanwhile, in his submission for bail, Mr Agbakpe stated that the prosecution was dwelling on rumours.

According to him, there was no medical report to support the claim of the prosecution that the victim had been defiled.

Explaining to the court how the accused came to know the victim, Mr Agbakpe stated that the victim, whose school was close to the accused’s house, had been a friend of the accused and the complainant was aware of it.

Acting like a father, he said, the accused sometimes gave her money and that it was his generosity that the complainant had misconstrued to mean a love affair.

He said after the police had identified some loopholes in the case presented by the complainant, they granted the accused a police inquiry bail to make himself available whenever he was needed.

Source: Graphic Online

MAN, 56, MARRIES 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL

A nine-year-old primary four pupil (name withheld) from Domiento, a farming community in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District of the Northern Region, has been rescued from a forced marriage.

Three persons have since been arrested in connection with the crime, which resulted in a bizarre case of murder in the family.

The terrified young girl is currently in the custody of her biological mother under the supervision of leaders of the community, who have promised to ensure her safety henceforth.

The stepfather of the victim reportedly married her off to his 56-year-old farmer friend in a different community despite fierce resistance from some family members who complained about the 47-year age gap between the ‘husband and wife’.

According to police investigators, the girl, under the arrangement, was made to stop school and move into the home of her husband to begin married life against her wish.

Her stepfather insisted it was in line with the customs and traditions of the area, and that if they were prevented from going ahead with the arrangement, there would be dire consequences.

Customary rites were subsequently performed by the stepfather and the nine-year-old was taken away by kinsmen of her would-be husband to be handed over to him.

She was compelled despite her age to begin performing her conjugal duties as a wife to her husband who, it is gathered, is already married to about four wives.

In another development, an elder sister of the youngster, Serwah Biladel, 25, said to be pregnant, was allegedly clubbed to death by her brother when she fiercely resisted the marriage arrangement of her younger sister and the older man.

The brother, who was identified as Wunang Jijri, 27, was reportedly a direct beneficiary of the forced marriage and allegedly received free drinks and guinea fowls.

He allegedly accused his sister of showing gross disrespect to their father and subsequently killed her.

Police at Bunkpurugu, who earlier arrested Wunang Jijri, have equally gone ahead to arrest the stepfather and husband of the youngster and are pressing criminal charges against all three.

The little girl has since been rescued from the forced marriage to enable her continue schooling while elders in the area have been tasked to keep watch over her.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that kinsmen who contracted the marriage would also be arrested for conspiring to commit a crime.

Credit: Daily Guide

NIGERIA ELECTIONS: PREGNANT WIFE STABS HUSBAND TO DEATH

A 26-year-old pregnant wife simply identified as Onyiyechi has been arrested by the Lagos state police command for stabbing her husband to death following an argument over the presidential candidates in Saturday's general election at their home in Ejigbo on Sunday March 29th.

According to a report by Vanguard, the husband was supporting PDP while Onyiyechi supported the APC. An argument over who would win the presidential election degenerated into a fight with the wife stabbing her husband inside their one room apartment at the 81 military zone junction in Ejigbo.

A neighbor in their compound narrated what happened: "We were all outside waiting to vote when Onyiyechi rushed out, shouting for help. Out of curiosity, we all ran inside, only to discover blood all over the ground, on entering their apartment. On closer observation, we noticed that the blood was from her husband chest region. We met him on the ground. Before we could rush him to the hospital, he gave up the ghost.

“From all indication, it was clear that she attempted to manage the situation immediately the incident occurred. It was when she discovered that the situation had overwhelmed her that she raised alarm. I do not know the name of her husband.

"We only know that of his wife, who we fondly call Onyiyechi. The irony of this matter is that she is not cantankerous. She has never beaten a little child, let alone to fight with any neighbor. Again on that day, we saw both of them together. They were seen sitting outside, one hour before the incident occurred. Policemen from Ejigbo later came to remove the corpse to the Isolo morgue” the anonymous neighbor said.

The police arrested the suspect while further investigation into the matter is ongoing as some other version of the story claims the couple got into a fight following a disagreement they had after Onyiyechi decided to grate Okro she was to use in preparing their meal inside their one room apartment.

Her husband is reported to have instructed her to take it out but she refused which sparked a quarrel and then a fight between them.

Credit: Vanguard News