Two Chief Executives in the Bono Region narrowly avoided death when they were involved in a robbery on the Fetentaa section of the Berekum-Drobo highway.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported that Mr. Andrews Bediako, the Jaman South Municipal Chief Executive, and Mr. Solomon Owusu, the Jaman North District Chief Executive, were on their way back from a meeting in Sunyani when they encountered a gang of armed robbers.
Mr. Bediako told GNA that the attack occurred on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
He explained that the robbers, around five in number and heavily armed, had targeted market vendors and travelers returning from Drobo and Sampa to Berekum and Sunyani, near the Fetentaa Refugee Camp in the Berekum West District.
“They just appeared from the shoulder of the stretch, fired gunshots sporadically, and signaled us to stop. They even hit and broke my windscreen with lumber; however, we managed to speed off from the terrible scene,” he said.
In the process of the attack, Mr. Bediako said the engine of the vehicle of his colleague DCE broke down, but they all managed to escape the robbery scene unhurt.
“We quickly rang the police and signaled all the vehicles which were coming from the opposite direction. Sensing danger, the robbers fled into the bush,” Mr. Bediako said. “We later got the information that the robbers apprehended and robbed a motor rider of his mobile phone and money and subjected him to severe beatings.”
Bediako voiced alarm over the increasing number of armed robberies along sections of the Berekum-Drobo highway, attributing the problem to the deteriorating state of the road, and urged for its repair.
He also appealed to the police to enhance their patrols along the route to safeguard traders and other travelers.