Residents of Ogome, a neighbourhood of Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of Ghana’s Eastern Region, have been driven into a state of terror after two robberies in less than two weeks.
In the most recent instance, four thieves, including a lady, assaulted a fuel station owned by the GASO oil company in Ogome, and a Mobile Money vendor nearby, taking an undisclosed quantity of money and ¢28,000 from the MoMo vendor, who was only 200 metres away.
The Somanya inhabitants and patrons have been caught off guard by the alleged robbery, which is said to have happened on Monday, October 23, at about 7:00 p.m.
They claim to have witnessed a number of robberies on the highways heading to town from Dodowa and Adukrom, but they had no idea they would witness a Rambo-style robbery close to the township.
An eyewitness reported that the entire incident lasted around eight minutes. The robbers used their pump action pistol to frighten away neighbours or anybody who approached too closely in an attempt to escape with their plunder.
In the process, they shot three other people as well as the pump attendant. Five victims were taken to Somanya Polyclinic, where they were treated and released, while one victim remains in critical condition at Komeshie District Hospital.
The petrol station lacks any CCTV cameras that may provide the authorities with information about what happened.
The police of the Yilo Krobo municipality lack the necessary equipment (motorcycles or pick-up trucks) to enhance their patrol on the main road and inside the township.