Court remands six for robbing killed Mfantsiman MP
Six persons who allegedly robbed Mr Ekow Quansah Hayford and his campaign team at gun point have been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused are: Alhassan Abubakar aka Abu Fulani, Naziru Fudailu Nash aka SP, Alhassan Mahama Yahaya aka Mystical Cloud, Amadu Yakubu, Haruna Osmanu and Adam Alhassan.
One Mohammed and others are said to be at large.
The six are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.
Defense counsel, Mr. George Asamaney, prayed the Court to admit the accused persons to bail pending further investigations.
According to Mr. Asamaney, the accused persons had a fixed place of abode and they were ready to assist in police investigations when granted bail.
Prosecuting Chief Inspector S. Frimpong vehemently opposed to the grant of bail, saying investigations were ongoing and that releasing the accused persons on bail could truncate investigations.
The Court presided over by Ms. Evelyn Asamoah turned down the bail application and remanded them to reappear on October 30. Alhassan Abubakar a.k.a.Abu Fulani, is a mobile phone repairer residing at Akwatia Line, Kumasi and Naziru Fudailu Nash alias SP is a businessman living at Aboabo No. 2, Kumasi.
Prosecution said Alhassan Mahama Yahaya, a.k.a. Mystical Cloud, was unemployed and lived at Dansoman in Accra, Amadu Yakubu, Mobile Money agent, living in Mankessim Zongo.
Haruna Osumanu is a trader, living at Mankessim. Mohammed and other accomplices are currently on the run.
Prosecution said on October 9, this year at about 1:00am, Police had information that armed robbers had barricaded a section of the road between Abeaze-Dominase and Duadze on the Mankessim Assufosu highway, robbing the commuters of their mobile phones, monies and other valuables.
Police quickly mobilized men and proceeded to the scene but narrowly missed the robbers.
According to prosecution, at the scene, Police saw a number of vehicles parked on the road with some of the victims who had sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds with one dead.
Prosecution said the body was later identified as the Member of Parliament for Mfantsiman constituency, Mr Ekow Quansah Hayford.
Two of the victims one Patrick Asante, a Kia truck driver and Uncle Issah the MP’s driver, got seriously injured.
Prosecution said the Police cleared the road to traffic and conveyed the victims to Winneba and Cape Coast Hospitals for medical attention.
The prosecution said the body of the deceased Member of Parliament was also deposited at the Saltpond Mortuary pending autopsy.
According to prosecution, investigations revealed that, the late MP for Mfantsiman filed his nominations form on October 8, this year, for re-election and decided to visit four communities in the Taabosom Electoral area namely; Effutakwa, Opim, Takoradi and Duadze.
At about 1:00am, prosecution said the team bumped into a gang of armed robbers who blocked the road between Abeaze Dominase and Duadze, robbing motorist of their monies and valuables.
The MP arrived with his campaign team on board a Mitsuibitsi pickup branded in NPP colours. The robbers immediately fired gunshots into the vehicle bursting the tyres as the vehicle suddenly stopped after running into a ditch.
The robbers surrounded them all and demanded for all their valuables.
The robbers pointed a gun at Stephen Allan and asked whether he was the MP, he replied in the negative.
Prosecution said Mr. Hayford, the MP owned up so they pounced on him and collected his Samsung galaxy 850 mobile phone and demanded money.
The Prosecution said the late MP told the robbers that he had used up all his money as he was returning from campaign tour.
“He therefore pleaded with them to take him to his house to give them money but they refused and shot him, killing him instantly,” prosecution said.
According to prosecution, the Police tracked the mobile phone of the deceased to Kumasi and arrested Nash at Aboabo in possession of the deceased Samsung galaxy 850. Nash mentioned Abubakar as the person who sold the phone to him at GH¢780.00.
Prosecution said Nash led the Police to Akwatia line where Abubakar was also arrested. Abubakar also mentioned Mohammed as the one who sold the phone to him at GH¢680.00.
Yahaya, Yakubu, Osumanu and Alhassan were all arrested in connection with the robbery and murder of the MP.
Prosecution said efforts were under way to apprehend Mohammed and other accomplices.
Source: GNA