Five highway robbers who attacked and robbed
travelers of their properties on the Mankranso-Tepa Highway in the Ashanti
Region on May 20 this year have been sentenced to a total of 200 years
imprisonment in hard labour.
The Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr.
Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, yesterday convicted the five on charges of conspiracy and
robbery, and accordingly condemned each of them to 40 years in hard labour.
While convicts Osman Abubakari, trader; Ali
Mohoammed, unemployed; Mohammed Manu, herdsman; Abdulai Damba; and Shaibu
Bukari, trader, headed for prison to begin their respective sentences, two
others who were jointly charged with them were acquitted and discharged.
Hamidu Abdulai and Mazu Zakari walked free as
witnesses in the case could not identify them as members of the gang who
viciously assaulted passengers n the highway.
Facts of the case made available to the court by
the prosecutor, Mr. Ernest Ayeh, State Attorney, were that the victims were on
board vehicles from Achiase, Asuokor and Katapei and headed for Kumasi at dawn
when they were interrupted by the torchlight signals of the robbers, who
ordered them to stop.
Thinking that they could be policemen on duty, the
drivers stopped, but were to be shocked when they found themselves surrounded
by armed robbers wielding locally made pistols and machetes.
The robbers blocked the road with wood and robbed
the passengers of their money, mobile phones and personal effects.
Fortunately for the victims, however, the Mankranso
Police got wind of the ongoing attack and rushed to the scene, where they
engaged in a fierce gun battle with the robbers.
The robbers then dashed into a nearby bush, but
their escape effort did not last as villagers in the area helped the police to
arrest the five who have eventually been jailed.
The two who have been freed were arrested later.
Source: The Finder
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