Two persons have been jailed for a total of 110 years with hard labour which, according to the judge, would help curb the incidence of armed robbery and deter others from the nefarious practice.

Rashid Nuru, 24, a motorbike seller and Abdulai Adamu, alias Awudu, 28, a barber are to spend 50 years and 60 years respectively in jail after they were convicted for conspiracy to rob and robbery by the Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Adjei Frimpong.

In his judgement, Mr Frimpong noted that armed robbery was becoming rampant in the country and needed to be addressed quickly and expressed the hope that the sentence would scare others not to indu1ge in robbery.

Presenting the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Wilfred Kojo Salia said Rashid in the company of three others robbed the Pink Panther Hotel at Adiembra in Kumasi about five months ago.

Chief Inspector Salia said they robbed guests of the hotel of various items including laptops and DSTV decoders.

On May 23, 2008, two employees of Cal Bank, Mr. Timothy Aryee, an auditor and one Henrich, a banker, arrived in Kumasi on official duties and lodged at the hotel.

At about 2am, Rashid and his gang went to the hotel and attacked some of the hotel attendants together with Mr Aryee with pump action guns, pistols and cutlasses.

On May 28, 2008, Rashid was arrested in another robbery case in Accra and he confessed having committed the robbery in Kumasi and mentioned the names of his accomplices.

After the confession, he was transferred to Kumasi for prosecution.

On the part of Abdullai, Chief Inspector Salia said he robbed inmates of the Amansie Hotel in Bekwai of their items, snatched two taxis and attempted to rob the Atasemanso Clinic in Kumasi.

Chief Inspector Salia said on June 24, 2008, one Kordey Keith, an engineer with the B and D Consultant Company at Airport in Accra and other workers went to install generators for the Amansie Municipality Health Insurance Scheme at Bekwai and lodged at the Amansie International Hotel.

At about 12.30a.m on June 27,2008, a gang of armed robbers attacked and snatched an Opel Astra taxi with registration number AS 2276 W away.

The prosecutor said they also attacked Mr Keith and robbed him of two mobile phones and a cash of $350.

While Abdullai and the gang were leaving the hotel, they took a KIA truck with registration number GT 5561 V belonging to Mr Keith and abandoned the snatched taxi behind.

The gang then drove to the Atasemanso Clinic in Kumasi with the intent to rob but met a uniformed police guard there. After exchanging fire with the police, the gang abandoned the stolen truck at Dakwadwom in Kumasi.

The gang also snatched an Opel Kadet taxi with registration number GR 4602 S from one Stephen Baffour-Kyei at gunpoint.

The police patrol team spotted the gang in the taxi and chased them and Abdullai was immediately arrested. When his bag was searched a pump action gun, five mobile phones, pistol, hammer, chisel and cash of $21 were found.

The prosecutor said Abdullai admitted the offences in his cautioned statement. Meanwhile, all the exhibits were handed over to their rightful owners.



Source: The Mirror