Police arrest five cab snatchers at Oda
The vigilance of the Oda Divisional Police Command has led to the arrest of five suspected armed robbers who snatched a taxi cab after attempting to murder the driver.
The suspects, whose ages range from 18 to 33, have been placed in police custody at Akyem Oda pending further investigations.
They are Samuel Nyamekye, a plumber, Moses Agbeko Azuley, a store keeper, Ebenezer Agbeko, a sand winner, Eric Frimpong, an undertaker and Emmanuel Amaning, an electrician.
Police
Briefing the Daily Graphic at Oda, the Oda Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Ebenezer Ampofo, said around 3.30 p.m. last Saturday, Nyamekye chartered the Corolla CE taxi cab with registration number GT 3731-15 which was being driven by Elvis Turkson from Oda to Akwatia for a fare of GH¢70.
Chief Supt Ampofo said when they reached Akyem Manso, Azuley joined the taxi and they continued the journey towards Atiankama Nkwanta.
He said on reaching a place called Bolaso, between Manso and Atiankama Nkwata, Azuley asked the driver to stop for him to pick his goods in a sack by the roadside and he complied.
He said immediately the driver stopped, Ebenezer Agbeko, Frimpong and Amaning emerged from a nearby orange farm to join the two and they brutally assaulted the driver.
Assault
The commander stated that the suspects later tied up the hands and legs of the driver and plastered his mouth, eyes and nose.
Chief Supt Ampofo said the suspects continued to assault the driver with their boots and clubs to ensure that he was dead, since the driver recognised one of them.
He said the robbers thought Turkson was dead and so they dumped Turkson’s ‘naked body’ in the bush and drove his taxi- cab away.
According to him, when Turkson regained consciousness, he managed to free himself and walked to the roadside and attempted boarding a vehicle to Oda but a number of vehicles that passed by refused to pick him, thinking he was mad.
The divisional commander said a passenger in one of the commercial vehicles later identified Turkson as an Oda-based taxi driver and impressed upon a driver to give him (the victim) a lift.
Turkson subsequently used the mobile phone of a passenger to call a police officer at Oda and narrated his ordeal to him. The officer in turn informed the Oda Divisional Police Commander.
Arrest
Chief Supt Ampofo said he immediately alerted all the police stations and barriers between Oda, Koforidua and Nsawam to look out for the suspects.
He said the personnel managed to arrest the five suspects in the taxi around Asamankese.
According to Chief Supt Ampofo, the suspects had admitted in their caution statements to the police that they attempted to murder Turkson after snatching his taxi.
He said the suspects later took the police and Turkson who had just been discharged from the Oda Government Hospital to the spot where the incident took place.
