Armed Robbers Strike In Oil City

Some residents of the oil city of Sekondi-Takoradi have attributed the recent spate of armed robbery to the influx of both foreigners and locals to the twin-city as a result of the burgeoning oil business in the area. The armed robbers, who use sophisticated weapons, operate early morning and ignore the police patrol teams. Three armed robbers on Thursday embarked on a daring robbery spree at four different locations, namely Anaji Harmony Ridge, the Regimanuel Estates at Essipong, SSNIT Ridge and Kansaworodo and the police are still searching for them. The armed robbers, who are still at large, invaded the residence of a banker, Bob Ampiaw at Anaji Harmony Ridge, 2nd Avenue because they allegedly had information that his wife, whose mother passed away recently, was keeping huge sums of money at home. The hoodlums, who stormed the residence ostensibly to steal the money, were unsuccessful because neither Mr. Ampiaw nor the wife was in the house at the time of the attack. In an interview with Daily Guide, Ama Awotwe, who claimed she was in the house when the robbers launched the attack, said the three robbers, one wearing a mask and wielding a gun, got to the house around 2:30 am. According to her, immediately the assailants arrived two of them started banging the main gate of the house with their hands while the other one, who was wearing the mask and wielding the gun also shouted �Bring the money, where is the money�. She continued that since they found it difficult to open the gate, they used some cement blocks to break the main gate and entered the hall. She said they took away a flat screen television, a laptop computer, three mobile phones and an amount of GH� 45.00. According to her, the robbers bolted without hurting any of the occupants at the house who later managed to alert the police patrol team but when the peace officers arrived the robbers had bolted away. An eye witness, who claims he stays just opposite the house which was invaded by the robbers, alleged that the three thugs arrived in the area in a Toyota 4�4 vehicle. He said the robbers packed the vehicle in front of a pastor�s house in the area and marched straight to Mr. Ampiaw�s house to carry out their diabolical plan. A police source told Daily Guide that the three robbers took the vehicle from the owner, one Ofori Collins at gunpoint around SSNIT Ridge in the metropolis, adding that the vehicle had been impounded by the police pending further investigations. Speaking to Daily Guide, DCOP Ransford Ninson, Western Regional Police Commander, noted that the unidentified criminals, whose modus operandi is to rob residents, would be apprehended. According to the Regional Police boss, his outfit is assessing the situation in the oil city and appealed to the general public to provide information on the activities of unscrupulous persons in the metropolis to the police.