Upper East: Two suspected robbers gunned down in shoot-out

DCOP Simon Afeku of the Upper East Regional Police Command

Gun exchanges between some personnel of the Upper East Regional Police Command and three suspected armed robbers last Sunday in Bolgatanga, resulted in the death of two. 

Inflicted with serious gunshot wounds, the two identified by the Police as Baba and Rasta were conveyed to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead shortly on arrival. 

The other accomplice, whose name was given as Patrick Ayine, A.k.a Aluta is currently under police custody assisting in investigations. 

Meanwhile, a Police Corporal, sustained some gun wounds as a result of the shoot-out is said to be responding to treatment at the hospital following a successful surgical operation on him. 

Narrating the incident to Radio Ghana, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku, said the rate of crime related offenses, particularly motorbike snatching in the region has assumed an alarming proportion. 

He, however, assured residents that the police were up to task and will strategize to deal with offenders. 

Report

Between 23^rd to 28^th of February, there had been series of attacks on road users plying on the Bolgatanga-Navrongo highway by unidentified persons and groups of armed men. 

Victims that fall prey to activities of these criminals are often robbed at gun point.

 However, the three suspected armed men of which two have died were suspected to have launch an attack on one police personnel at dawn on his way to Bolgatanga from Navrongo. 

The robbers whose intention was to snatch the motorbike of the police personnel shot at him after refusing to stop as directed. After a hot chase, the policemen managed to escape. 

This, provoked an intense police patrol on the said stretch of road to ensure the safety of lives and property. 

According to DCOP Simon Afeku, heightened surveillance measures by the police identified the hideout of these criminals whose nefarious activities were a threat to road users. 

He said on February 28 at around 4.00 am, the suspected robber succeeded in an operation and returned to their hideout. 

Upon Police intelligence, some men invaded their abode and on arrival, they were engaged in a shoot-out injuring one of the men in the process. 

The police sensing danger also opened fire killing two. DCOP Afeku, who gave a detailed account of the incident identified the group as notorious thugs fingered in similar criminal acts in Kumasi and other areas.

The recent times, residents of the Upper East Region, particularly motorbike riders have had to endure several violent acts despite effort by the police to clamp down on perpetrators. 

The Police in dealing with such cases have to use minimum force by opening fire on offenders to safeguard their safety. 

 DCOP Afeku, said it was not in the interest of the Police to shoot and kill, but the law equally mandates them to use their weapons appropriately when the need arises. He therefore warned those perpetuating acts of violence to desist from the act in order to avoid their wrath.

The three suspected robbers were in possession of AK 47 riffle with 12 rounds of ammunitions and a locally manufactured pistol with five BB live cartridges when the police invaded their domain.  

 DCOP Afeku, bewailed the level of crime rate in the region and called on the continuous support of the media and the general public in relaying vital information leading to the arrest of criminals.

GBC NEWS                                                           END                      

Afrikids Ghana organizes Speech and Prize Giving Day for Gane-Asonge Basic School

Afrikids Ghana, a child right  NGO has facilitated the first ever speech and prize giving day in Gane-Asonge, basic School, a mining community in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region. 

This forms part of the NGO’s campaign struggle to increase met enrolment in schools by 2017 under a three-year project nicknamed “Opening Doors to School (ODTS). 

The project is also intended to ensure a 15 percent increase in the pass rate of student within the said period.   In a welcome address, the Headmistress of the school, Olivia Azoteyine, commended Afrikids Ghana for its sense of responsiveness.

 According to her, the day marked a significant milestone in academic pursuit of the school, having chalked substantial feat in both curricular and extra -curricular activities including cultural performances. 

She was equally grateful to Afrikids for its renewed effort in fighting early child marriage.

Afrikids Ghana has for the past seven years operated in the Talensi and Nabdam areas and had since undertaken workable interventions to enhance school enrolment and eliminate child labour and other laborious activities that affects the general wellbeing of children. 

Since 2007, Afrikids has implemented other child support programs such as “Operation Sunlight” that saw the withdrawal of 155 children who were engaged in illegal mining activities. 

Under the project, victims were identified and given the needed educational support and skills training to sustain their livelihood. 

Through the support of community volunteers, some of these children are now serving in various capacities as nurses, teachers as well as master tradesmen and women in the region. 

It was for this reason that Afrikids resolved to initiate the ODTS with the overarching goal of nurture poor and marginalized children through school to enable them grow in holistic manner so that they can also contribute meaningfully to their respective communities. 

The Talensi/Nabdam Area Manager of Afrikids, Silas Ayaaba, recounted the positive impact of the existing interventions in its operational areas describing it as a dream come through. 

He said the ODTS project which began in March last year with funding by its implementing UK partners, namely; Medicore and Marple Charitable Trust, had provided leadership skills training for teachers who offer tuition for pupils and had additionally supported the monitoring unit of the GES to conduct their supervisory role effectively. 

According to Mr Ayaaba, ten schools in the district are benefiting from the ODTS project.

The Headmistress of the school, Olivia Azoteyine, said despite an increase in school enrolment, it was still faced with myriad of challenges including inadequate classroom infrastructure, stationary , a library and an ICT laboratory. 

She was hopeful that if the befitting structures in place coupled with adequate teaching and materials the school was posied to improve on its academic performance.

In a speech read on her behalf, the DCE for Nabdam, Vivian Anafo, said government will ensure the payment of  the contractor currently working on a classroom block  at the school to facilitate its speedy completion. 

Prices ranging from school bags, exercise books, and other stationary were presented to deserving students that excelled in their respective academic disciplines including best behaved student. 

GBC NEWS                                                         END                                              

Regentropfen Education Foundation provides mechanized borehole for Namoo Primary

A mechanized borehole valued at the cost of Forty Thousand Ghana Cedis  had been completed and handed over to the Namoo Primary ‘A’ school at Namoo in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.

The provision of the mechanized borehole was made possible through the support of Regentropfen Education Foundation, a development oriented NGO based in Germany.

The process was engineered by a catholic missionary and a native of the area, Father Moses Asaah Awinongya, after fostering a healthy partnership with Stiftung Regentropfen to assist the school with a potable water to address the shortage of water supply to the school.

The partnership among other interventions is aimed at creating a forum for inter-cultural exchanges between Grundschule Neuried, a German College and Namoo Primary school.

  At a durbar of chiefs and people to commission the project, the Project Officer of Regentropfen Education Foundation, Cornelia Ayambire, explained that the partnership between both schools was reinforced when the foundation identified the need for the school to have good drinking water to reduce the danger of being exposed to vehicular accidents due to its location.

She impressed on management of the school to make good use of facility and prioritize its regular maintenance to ensure its sustainability.

The Headmaster of the school, Gregory Atanga payed glowing tribute to Father Awinongya and his partners for the kind gesture.

He described Father Awinongya, as a visionary person who deserves to be celebrated for others to emulate considering his sterling leadership qualities and an astute individual that places the development of his community high above his personal interest.

He prayed for more of such support and used the opportunity to appeal to other benevolent organizations to come to the aid of the school to enable it tackle its infrastructural challenges.

The Bongo District Director of Education, Duncan Nsoh, for his part, announced that without the support of the chiefs and the people, development will run at a slow pace.

He highlighted a number of challenges that hinder the development effort of the area and called on the chiefs and elders to assist in that regard.

The Bongo District since its creation had been battling with the issue of high fluoride content in their water bodies which often results in the coloring of the teeth.

In view of this, the DCE for Bongo, Alexis Ayamdor thanked the foundation for its show of concern since the borehole was proven to be healthy for consumption.

While, acknowledging the effort of the foundation, the DCE called for attitudinal change on poor sanitation and the practice of open defecation.

The facility was officially commissioned by management of Regentropfen Education Foundation led by its national Coordinator, Anthony Awimbila Akurugo.

He was assisted by the Chief of Namoo Traditional Area, Naba Alamtaba, as well as management of the school


GBC

Middle age man drowned in Gurigo dam

Deceased, Adongo Awuku with blood oozing from the head

Community members performing rituals in search of the body

The lifeless body of Awuku after he was retrieved from the dam

                  

A middle age man and a native of Bongo in the Upper East Region was this afternoon found dead when he got drowned in the Gurigo dam. 

The incident which occurred yesterday evening took the rescue team, involving officials of the Bongo district NADMO office and members of the Gurigo community long hours to retrieve the body.

 The Bongo District NADMO Coordinator, Alhaji Rafui Tahiru, who was at the scene identified the deceased as Adongo Awuku, whose house was just about 500 meters away from the dam. 

Narrating the incident to Radio Ghana’s Isaac Asare, Alhaji Tahiru said the deceased was at the Balungu market with some friends, and as at 8.pm, they decided to proceed to the house since it was getting late. 

On the way, they witnessed some light flashes in the dam, exactly where his fishing net was located. He then attempted to check the net and ascertain whether someone has tampered with it. 

Upon advice by the friend to rescind his decision, he vehemently declined, went into the dam and apparently got drowned in the process.   

He said due to difficulty in retrieving the body, his men were compelled to deploy some experienced fishermen from the Vea community to complement their rescue effort. 

With their able support, they were able to retrieve the lifeless body from the dam.  Alhaji Tahiru, disclosed that those that were involved in the rescue operation were equipped with live jackets to ensure their safety. 

He added, that though the man is known to be an experienced fisherman, postmortem examination conducted on him suggests that he was highly intoxicated and could not control himself. 

In less than two weeks, the Bongo district has recorded three of such unfortunate incidence.   

Two persons got drowned in the Bongo Soe dam on St Valentine’s day celebration on February 14. 

When asked about the measures put in place by NADMO to avert such unfortunate incidents, Alhaji Tahiru said in view of the forgoing, his office has instituted a District Disaster Management Committee, DDMC, and are schedule to meet later in the day to discuss the way forward in averting future occurrences.  

 He said now that medical officers had confirmed that the deceased was intoxicated, the committee will embark on a vigorous community campaign in the district to educate the people, particularly, the youth on the dangers of alcoholic beverages. 

Meanwhile, the Bongo District Police Command led by the chief investigator, Kingsford Tetteh, had taken possession of the body and had subsequently handed it over to the deceased family for burial.