Police gun down two suspected robbers in Kumasi

The police in Ashanti Region have mounted a man hunt for one Issaka Jallo Dzani, believed to be the leader of a gang of armed robbers who robbed and killed one Joseph Baah Tweneboah, an agric officer at his house at Aputuogya in the Bosomtwe District a month ago.

His two other accomplices, Kwaku Yeboah alias Kwaku Gao and Michael Agyemang were gunned down by the police in the early hours of Thursday when they tried to escape from lawful custody.

The two were arrested a day earlier after police intelligence at their hideouts and were assisting the police in their investigation.

They were leading the police to retrieve some of the weapons they had hidden at Aputuogya when some unknown assailants opened fire on the police and the two tried to take advantage of the distraction to escape.

Explaining the incident to the press, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Commander of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Osei Kwaku Ampofo-Duku, said the two were arrested their hideouts at Atwima Maakro and Abuakwa respectively, were leading the police to retrieve some of the weapons they had hidden away.

He said they led the police to an area at Aputuogya where the police retrieved a pump action gun, two locally manufactured pistols and some rounds of ammunition hidden under a tree.

He said it was while the police was retrieving the items that some people opened fire on the police hitting the police service vehicle in the process.

According to him, during the exchange of fire with the attackers, the two who were in handcuffs, tried to run away.

Mr Ampofo-Duku said one was shot in the process and died while the other who sustained gunshot wounds, managed to escape.

He said because it was very dark in the night, the police returned to the scene early in the morning and combed around the place and saw the second suspect dead in a nearby bush from the gunshots.

Gun seizure

Last week, the police at Ejisu retrieved some guns and ammunitions from an abandoned Ford vehicle with registration number AS 1157-15 at Boankra after trying to escape from the police.

According to the police, intelligence led to the arrest of the two as those in charge of the said vehicle at the time. 

Mr Ampofo-Duku said the two allegedly admitted that they were the owners of the weapons and were supposed to meet Dzani at Konongo for an operation.

However, according to the police, Dzani failed to meet them at the agreed point and time making them to be wandering about in the area thus drawing the attention of the people and the police.

They also allegedly confessed to be those who killed the agric officer during a robbery expedition and mentioned the said Dzani as their leader.    

The Deputy Regional Commander reiterated the police appeal to the public to be watchful of the people in their communities and to notify the police as soon as they noticed something unusual.