Eight suspected armed robbers including two Nigerians have been arraigned before a Bolgatanga High Court One in the Upper East Region for allegedly plotting to rob some gold dealers at Gbane in the Talensi District.
They are Mohammed Mutaka Sadick, Michael Osuji alias Junior (Nigerian), Otu Laryea Nervis, Israel Valentine Edeh (Nigerian), Rufai Umoru, Daniel Adose alias Pastor Dan, Stephen Bortey and Musah Issah.
Facts
The facts of the case as presented by the prosecution were that the police had a tip-off that the eight were preparing to rob some gold dealers at Gbane.
Sadick, Osuji, Laryea, Edeh, Umoro and Bortey who are all based in Accra were contacted by Sadick for the robbery.
Sadick said because of the Gbane robbery, he was contacted by Osuji and Edeh to get his colleagues on board for the robbery and so he (Sadick) mobilised Laryea, Umoru and Bortey to the Upper East Region.
According to the prosecution, the suspects, fully armed with three foreign pistols, magazines, one local short gun,12 BB cartridges and 83 pieces of 380 auto ammunitions, then proceeded to Gambligo, a suburb of Bolgatanga.
Arrests
On January 6, 2018, the police got wind of the suspects’ hideout at Gambligo and arrested the suspects but Sadick escaped together with the arms and ammunitions in a bag.
The prosecution said that at about 2:00 a.m. on January 7, 2018, the police, upon a tip-of, arrested Sadick at the Bolgatanga lorry station when he was about to board a commercial vehicle to Tamale.
When the police searched the bag, all the arms and ammunitions were found in it.
Upon interrogation by the police, Sadick claimed it was the two Nigerians who hired them from Accra to Gbane for the purpose of robbing the dealers.
Sadick later led the police to a hotel in Bolgatanga where Osuji and Edeh were hiding.
When the two were arrested, they also claimed it was Issah and Adose who asked them to recruit the other suspects to help with the robbery at Gbane.
The Nigerians then led the police to Issah’s house at Gbane where he was also arrested.
The police, during their investigations, found out that there were two gold dealers at Gbane who had in their possession two and three kilogrammes worth of gold, as well as a large sum of money.