House for heroic taxi driver
For his heroism and sheer bravado that foiled an attempted robbery of a saleswoman of Koala Supermarkets at Cantonments in Accra last Saturday, a taxi driver is to receive a house from the government as a reward.
Advertisement
The decision, according to the government, was in appreciation and recognition of the patriotism displayed by Nana Yaw, the driver, and the extent to which he risked his life to save the life of the saleswoman.
The woman was shot by the robbers and is currently receiving treatment at the 37 Military Hospital.
The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, announced the reward on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama when he received the taxi driver at his office at the Flagstaff House yesterday.
Mr Amissah-Arthur commended Nana Yaw for his patriotism and heroism, saying that the bravery the driver exhibited was worthy of emulation.
Four persons, including the Supervisor of the Cantonments branch of Koala Supermarkets, have been arrested in connection with the attempted robbery of Lydia Horsu, the saleswoman.
They are Stanley Obaleko, alias Suleiman Mohammed, a 35-year-old Nigerian; Oko Quarcoo, 30, a Ghanaian, Doe Ahiatafu, 28, a security man, and Gilbert Osabutey, the supervisor at Koala.
The supervisor and his accomplices are said to have masterminded the robbery which was foiled by the taxi driver.
The two robbers who suffered serious bone fractures are currently on admission at the Police Hospital.
Investigations
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police Mr Prosper Agblor, told a news conference last Sunday that the driver’s vehicle was damaged and that all those who contributed to the arrest of the two suspects would be handsomely rewarded at the appropriate time.
Preliminary investigations, according to COP Agblor, indicated that the robbery had been masterminded by two of the suspects, Osabutey and Ahiatafu, as the saleswoman always went to the supermarket every morning to collect the previous day’s sales.
Osabutey, knowing that, contacted Ahiatafu, the security man of ACACIA Construction, to attack the woman when she came for the money.
When the victim went for the sales last Saturday, she, however, did not receive any money but when she emerged from the supermarket, the two suspected robbers on a motorbike trailed her.
Suspecting that she was carrying money, the robbers, who were riding a BMW motorbike, tried to snatch her handbag at the American Embassy but she resisted them.
The suspects shot at the saleswoman when she resisted them but they could not snatch her bag because the taxi driver who chanced on the incident crossed the robbers and hit their motorbike with his cab in a bid to prevent them from bolting.
Koala to give car
Meanwhile, the management of Koala Supermarkets has decided to replace Nana Yaw’s taxi with a brand new one.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Koala, Ms Christal Beeko, commended the taxi driver for his bravery and said the car would be presented to him in less than a week, reports Mary Mensah.
She said Koala was deeply saddened by the robbery incident which led to one of its workers sustaining gunshot injuries.
Ms Beeko said management would support her treatment, compensate her and reinstate her once she had recovered fully.
“On behalf of management and staff, we wish Lydia Horsu a speedy recovery,” she said.