Residents in the Cape Coast Metropolis are living in a state of fear and panic following recent spate of armed robberies in the area.
Within the past three months, several people including government workers, media personnel, businessmen and students have been attacked and robbed of their valuable properties at gun and knife point by unknown robbers.
The group of armed robbers who are suspected to be responsible for the robberies in the Metropolis are believed to be engaging in the snatching of cars as well.
Suburbs such as Abura, Siwdu Compound, Pedu, Adisadel, Ashanti Road, Savoy, Amanful, Ntsin, Kru Town, Tantri and Kingsway have all experienced robbery attacks in the past three months.
The situation has compelled some shop owners to close early while some Christians who hitherto attended evening church services are no longer doing so.
The latest victim, Mr Kingsley Nana Boadu, Regional Correspondent of the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC) who resides at Pedu was attacked by a group of young men wielding cutlasses and a pistol and made away with his money, mobile phone, tablet and other belongings.
Narrating his ordeal to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Thursday, Mr Boadu said “this is the second time in about two months that I have been robbed. The first one was in November; three young men met me on my way home and took everything on me at gun point”.
He said on the second occasion, the robbers broke into his room and took away his laptop, watches, clothes, money, mobile phones and other valuable items worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.
He said exactly three days after he had been robbed at gun point on his way to his house, some households in his neighborhood were also attacked and robbed of their valuables.
He reported the case to the police but action was yet to be taken.
Another victim, Kojo Ahinful, also complained to the GNA that he alighted at Siwdu Compound around 9pm on Saturday November 26 from a taxi and was on his way home when he was attacked by a group of young boys wielding a pistol and cutlasses and robbed him of his phone, tablet and cash of GH?500.00.
He said he has since lodged a complaint at the police station but nothing had been done about it.
According to them during last year’s celebration of the Fetu Afahye, the annual festival of the Chiefs and people of Oguaa, a gang of armed robbers believed to be non-residents invaded Cape Coast.
They said celebrants who closed late from functions were beaten and robbed of their valuables at the full glare of other residents who could not intervene because the robbers were armed.
A number of residents told the GNA that they were now living in fear as the robbers seemed to be having a field day.
They have appealed to the Regional Police Command and the Kotokuraba District Police, to as a matter of urgency intensify patrol services in the area to give residents the needed security.
Mr Joel Eshun, Assembly Member of Amanful Electoral Area also told the GNA that his area had been experiencing similar crimes which had become so serious that people were afraid to go out at night.
He said a volunteer group had been formed to patrol the area at night and had made a request for a police post in the area.
Meanwhile when the GNA contacted the Regional Police Command, it could not deny the reports and said a few robbery cases went on in the metropolis but refused to accept that it was on the ascendancy.
It said it could be that the cases were not reported to the police.
Source: GNA
