Residents shocked over arrest of suspected Kumasi armed robber
Some residents of Feyiase-Akoyem in the Bosomtwe District, co-tenants and traders expressed shock and disbelief when Samuel Osei Joy, a suspected armed robber in the grip of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, was brought there for further investigations on his involvement in a number of robbery cases in the Kumasi Metropolis and its environs.
Osei has two shops at Feyiase-Akoyem market where he deals in building materials.
Some co-tenants and traders, who had thronged the area market to catch a glimpse of him, described him as very quiet and seem to be highly religious since he had always been reading the Bible and were therefore, surprised of his hidden “business”.
Osei is said to have opened the shops in the area barely three months ago and his arrest by the Police brought a huge crowd of curious people some of whom were visibly shocked by the unfolding drama.
The Regional Police Command said Osei was the last member of the gang of suspected armed robbers, who were killed by the Police in the Kumasi Metropolis two weeks ago.
His arrest on Thursday morning followed a tip-off.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Augustine Gyening, the Regional Commander told journalists that Osei was arrested at Feyiase-Akoyem on the Lake Bosomtwe Road where he is operating a building material shop.
He described the group, as “terrible and dangerous” as they had for sometime been robbing rural banks and other financial institutions and also terrorizing residents of Kumasi and its environs.
DCOP Gyening said Osei, an ex-convict, confessed to the Police he knew Abacha, the ring leader and the other members of the group, who were shot and killed when they attempted to escape from Police custody about two weeks ago.
He further told the Police that he committed robberies with two of his former Ivorian prison inmates in Cote D’ivoire in October last year after serving a ten-year-jail term for robbery.
Mr Gyening said the suspect later came back to Ghana to continue his nefarious activities with the members of the group.
Osei further told the Police that he was with his colleagues on the day of their arrest but managed to run away and later heard in the news that his colleagues had been killed by the Police.
The Police had a tough time controlling the curious crowd including his co-traders who shared the same building with him.
Those, who spoke to the GNA, expressed shock and disgust at the suspect. They said the suspect stocked the shop with building materials such as plastic T&G, tiles and tile cement about three months ago.
They booed at him when the Police car carrying him took off.
Meanwhile, the Police has appealed to all those who might have fallen victim to the activities of Osei and his gang to come forward to aid the Police in their investigations.
Source: GNA