32 Armed Robbers Arrested In Volta

A total of 32 armed robbers who were involved in various robberies were grabbed by the Volta Regional Police at the end of last year.

Giving the breakdown, ACP (Rev) David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, Regional Police Commander, said three of the robbers were from Dambai-Katanga highway robbery, seven in the Mepe Rural Bank robbery and four in the Ecobank robbery at Madina.

Others include one Nigerian and a Cameroonian in the Dabala-Anyako highway robbery, five in the Nkwanta-Hohoe robbery, two at Aflao and others. He said in all, 26 robberies were recorded and 10 other cases were considered to be more of break-ins or burglaries.

The Regional Police chief disclosed this at a meeting of Senior Police Officers held at Ho on Wednesday to brainstorm and put up more strategies towards protecting life and property in the region. ACP Ampah-Bennin told the officers that despite the good performance put up last year, the region is said to have topped the country in robbery, murder and defilement, meaning there is more work to be done.

He said it is in regard of improving upon last year’s performance that the meeting was called to enable them re-strategise, calling for the collaboration of all. “We have to brace ourselves up and fight these criminals who want to portray us as not working. Let us all rise up to the task and force them to retreat,” he said.

ACP Ampah-Bennin however noted that in their quest to live up to the challenge, the service is beset with numerous challenges which include inadequate vehicles. He mentioned that the Divisional and District Headquarters at Keta, Peki, Anyirawasi, Worawora, Agbozume, Adidome and Aveyime have no vehicles to help in fighting crime.

The Communication Unit and the Police Training School, he noted, equally have no vehicles to facilitate patrols in their respective areas of command. He revealed that even with the few vehicles that are available, the fuel supply to the region is inadequate to keep them moving which hampers their activities, especially patrols on the highways.

After a hard day’s work, most Police personnel have no place to lay their heads, adding that in the Ho Township alone, 70 personnel are without accommodation; and those who are accommodated sleep in groups in single rooms. The Police in the region, he further noted, cannot boast of a clinic and as a result, all health issues pertaining to them are reported to either the Municipal or Regional hospitals.

“Under normal circumstances, health issues pertaining to personnel should have been monitored by the Police clinic and where need be, referrals are made to appropriate health facilities,” he explained.

ACP Ampah-Bennin again disclosed that the various challenges are contributing to the inadequate personnel in the region since many of them, after staying for a year or more without accommodation, try to work their way out of the region. Others, he said, also leave the region without replacement whilst many refuse postings to the region.

The inability to complete the Regional Police Headquarters building, he stressed, is creating accommodation problems for some units in the Regional Headquarters, explaining that efforts to create units like Anti-Human trafficking, ICT and others are being hampered by lack of office accommodation.

He said a number of towns including Fodzoku, Battor, Mepe, Adaklu-Waya and others are calling for Police Stations to help combat crime, giving the assurance that their appeals will be taken care of.

ACP Ampah-Bennin however charged all Divisional, District and Unit Commanders to sacrifice and think of how to achieve more results in the face of the limited resources at their disposals.

The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Col (Rtd) Cyril Neku, commended the Police for their efforts in combating crime in the region, urging them to live up to the task to build up public confidence in them.