Residents and traders of Assin Awisam in the Assin Fosu Municipality and adjoining communities are living in fear as armed robbers have shot dead a driver and injured 3 other passengers on the Assin Awisam-Dunkwa stretch.
The alleged attack is reported to have occurred on Sunday, January 9, 2022, around 6 pm when the traders were travelling in a bus with registration number WR 1377 Y towards offin-dunkwa after the day’s market.
According to some victims who spoke to Rich Fm and Angel Fm/TV reporter Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack, the driver was shot at a couple of times to stop the car but his refusal to submit himself resulted in the robbers shooting him in the head, leading to his immediate death.
The Assemblyman of the area, Ayuba Andoh, said the suspects made away with an unspecified amount of money.
He attributed the situation to the bad nature of the road since the armed robbers fired gunshots and pounced on innocent traders when the car was in slow motion.
“The nature of the road is one factor because it is a place where you have to slow down. So fear gripped victims and those travelling to Kumasi.
“There were cars scheduled to take of at about 2 to 3 am but I have advised them to wait until day breaks because the incident has become one of too many cases in the municipality” Mr. Ayuba Andoh said.
Some of the residents also revealed that the incident is the second within the spate of a week as money amounting to some GH₵30,000 was made away with in the previous incident.
A victim who was not onboard the same vehicle but was travelling on foot said he came into contact with the robbers at the time they were wearing their clothes in the nearby bush in preparation towards the operations.
He narrated: “They [the robbers] stopped me and asked me to lie down on the floor. One of them pressed his foot against my back for a while and then they dragged me on the floor into the bush.
“But fortunately for me a motor bike approached the scene honking which drew their attention making them leave me behind to pursue after the rider.”
He continued that it was at that point he head the sound of the bus also approaching the area and in no moment, gunshots were fired.
Meanwhile, the victims who have sustained various degrees of injuries have been referred to New Adubiase Government Hospital and Twifu Praso Government Hospital in the Assin Fosu Municipality. Body of the deceased has also been deposited at the Twifu Praso Government hospital morgue.
The residents however call on the police to intensify patrols in the area since farmers and traders cannot go about their daily activities over fear for their lives.
The Assin Awisam police has however taken control of the situation as investigations have been launched into the matter.
However, no arrests have been made as of the time of filing this report.
