Robbery attack near Paga-Kajelo leaves one person with serious gunshot wounds
Residents have called for more police presence to curb the increasing robbery attacks in the area
A robbery attack that took place Saturday (17 December) on the Kajelo-Kayilo road near Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West district has left two residents injured and another battling severe gunshot wounds.
The robbery attack, as told by the victims, happened around 19hrs GMT perpetuated by six gun-wielding masked men.
The robbers reportedly used wood logs to block a portion of the road in the Kayilo thicket, held residents plying the road at gunpoint and took away two motorcycles, mobile phones and monies amounting to GHC6,700.
A resident who tried to escape from the robbery was pursued and disabled with gunshots in his arms. He is currently on admission at the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo waiting to be referred to another facility for further treatment.
The deplorable Kajelo-Kayilo road is a major access link from the two farming communities to the district capital – Paga, allowing farmers to transport their produce for easy market during the harvest period of the dry season cultivation.
Francis Sunday Baswefanga, one of the victims, told Asaase News on his hospital bed that the robbers lay concealed in the thicket and pounced on anyone who stopped by the wood logs. He added that victims were subjected to severe beatings until they surrendered all their valuables to the attackers.
He recounted that the robbers perpetuate the attack, intermittently firing their guns into the sky to ward off residents who responded to their cries.
“They used a big wood to block the road and when I was getting there, I saw them and tried to get away but they followed me and were shouting and shot my arms. I fell in the bushes and they dragged me to the roadside and lashed me. They took my GHC6,700 away. They also beat and robbed other people.”- Sunday recounted.
Police Refusal
When Asaase News visited the scene of the attack, residents accused the police of deliberately refusing to respond to their numerous calls for help. They said as the attack went on; distress calls were placed to the police in Paga but they refused to respond to their cries.
They said other calls were also made to a police snap checkpoint sited in Kajelo, about 500 meters from the scene, but the officers there refused to intervene.
The residents described the attitude of the police as unprofessional and called for the complete withdrawal of the police personnel from the area.
A resident who begged anonymity said, “if the police will not come and help us when we are in need of them like we needed them yesternight, then they should take them [police] out of our community. Because of what use are they [police] if they[police] can’t offer us protection.”
Efforts to reach the police to comment on the accusations did not materialize. Asaase News, however, gathered that the Paga District police commander, Superintendent Charles Ahiamale, visited the victims when they were first taken to the Paga district hospital.
Kajelo Youth-Police disturbances
Kajelo, Banyono and Kayilo in the past years have come under the attack of increasing robberies raising concerns from residents for increased and extended police patrols in the communities.
The robberies, which usually intensified during the harvest season, have cost several lives of residents and loss of money and properties.
In November 2021, the police in the Paga district, as part of measures to curb the robberies, mounted a snap checkpoint in Kajelo. But the erection of the checkpoint was meted with fierce protests from residents who cried that the police were using the checkpoint to extort monies from residents.
The checkpoint was subsequently destroyed by some faceless residents, triggering an invasion of the community by armed policemen who brutalized residents and destroyed motorcycles. Seven residents were arrested and arraigned before the Navrongo District Magistrate Court but were later granted a combined GHC28,000 bail.
Residents said the police reluctance towards the call for help during the robbery attack could be traced to the 2021 disturbances.
They said since the disturbance, there has not been a cordial relationship between the community and the police.
Castro Senyalah
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