Where are the Nima, Mamobi gangsters?

Where are the Nima, Mamobi gangsters?

The news that the police have arrested one of the ringleaders of the Nima and Mamobi rival groups that clashed almost three weeks ago is welcoming. Although some persons have been arrested and are currently facing prosecution, the two suspected principal architects were at large and are yet to be arraigned.

The police have indicated they were working hard to apprehend the suspects. Unfortunately, until yesterday’s arrest, the police had not provided any updates on the two suspects who escaped arrest. It brings into question the intelligence prowess of the Ghana Police Service and other security services.

We question the capabilities of our intelligence services because the clash took place on the blind side of the security services and had to result in an emergency intervention to quell the volatile situation. Why hasn’t our intelligence units been able to provide leads to the arrest of the leaders of the gangsterism attack?

How safe are the people of Nima and Mamobi, and by extension, the nation as a whole?

It will be recalled that the two gangster groups, on the blind side of the inhabitants and the police, engaged in sporadic shooting on the streets of Nima, forcing people to run for their dear lives as they tried to avoid being caught up in the melee.

Some of the young men involved in the lawless action were seen wielding guns and other weapons such as machetes and clubs, as they fought in broad daylight in a bid to overpower the other and allegedly take territorial control.

The police moved in swiftly to contain the violence and arrested nine people in connection with the clash, retrieved 12 empty cartridges, a live bullet and three AAA live ammunition from the scene at Nima.

Other items found and retained to aid investigations included a pistol magazine, two machetes, two knives, a toy pistol and two mobile phones.

We wonder why the police had not picked intelligence about their existence earlier to prevent such an incident which could have been fatal.

We have consistently published the reckless driving of unregistered vehicles moving in a large convoy under guard by dozens of motorbikes on some principal streets of Accra, many times on the Liberation Road, particularly on Sundays. These groups in many instances, terrorise unsuspecting motorists. They also block the roads at traffic intersections and allow their leaders in the vehicles to pass.

This act of lawlessness raises a lot of questions as to whether the police do not work on Sundays to be able to bring these thugs to book.

Knowing the quality of our police, the paper finds it absolutely disturbing that all this while, the gang leaders whose names were mentioned by the police have not been arrested.

In a country where there are reports of the existence of about two million illegal small arms in the possession of unauthorised persons, knowledge about the existence of such criminal gangs should not be taken lightly under any circumstance.

A month ago in Nigeria, some 200 people were shot dead by a group of people on motorbikes. They deceived the police with their actions and only ended up in such a heinous crime that claimed innocent lives.

We can be sure that from the lackadaisical attitude of the police towards such acts, the terrorists can capitalise on the development to attack targets of interest to them before the police react.

The Daily Graphic, therefore, joins calls by security experts and the people of the two communities who are now on edge for fear of a reprisal attack, for the police to marshal all the force at their disposal to apprehend the leaders.

The police must not allow, under any circumstance, people driving or riding with motorbike escorts and sometimes sirens to avoid traffic when they do not have the right to do so.

Finally, we also want to urge state officials and other high-ranking personalities in society to be disciplined and desist from breaking road traffic regulations because it is their actions that encourage others to do same.