Woman shot as highway robbers attack passengers at Afram Plains

A female passenger sustained gunshot wounds in another highway robbery attack in Afram Plains South District in the Eastern region.

The woman was rushed to Maame Krobo health centre but was referred to Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital where she is receiving treatment.

The robbery incident occurred Friday, August 13, 2021, at about 6:30 pm at the Agyata stretch of the Ekye Amanfrom to Maame Krobo road.

The four-member robbery gang, two wielding guns and two with machetes first attacked two motorbike riders and their pillions and used their motorbikes to block the road to rob their victims.

A Sprinter Bus fully occupied by passengers en-route from Nkawkaw to Donkorkrom bumped into the robbery which the robbers signalled the driver to stop at gunpoint.

“We were from Nkawkaw to Donkorkrom. When we crossed the Afram River, there was an Urvan bus ahead of us but our Sprinter bus driver overtook him. So there were two pick-up and V8 vehicles believed to be occupied by Chinese working in the area which also overtook our vehicle. On reaching a curve near Agyata community we heard a gunshot then we saw two motorbikes used to block the road, then one of the robbers who was wielding gun pointed the gun at our driver to stop so the driver drove towards him as he tried to slam the breaks to stop,” One of the victims told Starr News.

He added “They ordered us to bring out all our monies and lie in the prone position. Some passengers including a female at the back seat were reluctant to get down from the vehicle so one of the robbers fired a gunshot into the vehicle, the bullet hit the arm of the woman and part of her belly”.

Kwahu Afram Plains Area has been battling with the robbery menace for over a decade.

The robbers take advantage of the deplorable roads, unavailability and poor mobile network signals and inadequate police presence on the road.

The notorious highway robbery gang mostly target traders and mourners.

Many victims have died while others were injured in previously deadly attacks.

The last robbery attack before the current one occurred on Monday, July 26, 2021.

The robbers blocked Asukese junction stretch of Tease to Fori- Fori road at about 7:00am to rob their victims in two commercial vehicles.

The robbers took away mobile phones cash and other personal effects of their victims.

One of the victim’s Agyei Budu Nathan the radio pastor on Afram FM, a local radio station said the robbers absconded with his two mobile phones and an amount of GHC 3,200.00 mobilized to organize a funeral for his dead wife at Akyem Osino.

Ironically, the local police are helpless due to inadequate logistics and personnel to combat the robbery menace.