Four drivers jailed 120 years for robbery

Four persons, who robbed a businessman and his family at gunpoint at Pobiman, near Amasaman in 2019, have been sentenced to a total of 120 years by an Accra Circuit Court.

The four were found guilty by the court presided over by Mrs. Evelyn Asamoah at the end of the trial and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment each.

The accused are Daniel Akpan, aka “Danny,” a 40-year-old driver, Ishmael Akyene, aka “Nana”, a 35-year-old-driver, Bassey Okon Edet, a 40-year-old driver, and Asuquo Mbuotidem Edem, aka ‘Faith’, a 27-year-old driver.

They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime namely robbery and unlawful entry, unlawful entry, robbery, possessing instruments intended or adapted for unlawful entry, and possession of firearms without lawful authority.

The case of Prosecuting Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu is that the complainant, Kennedy Nkansah was a businessman and a resident of Pobiman, near Amasaman, Accra.

The prosecution said Akpan, Edet, and Edem were Nigerians while Akyene was a resident of Kasoa.

It said on February 26, 2019, at about 2:20 am while the complainant together with his family were asleep, the complainant heard a noise from his electric fence alarm system.

The prosecution said soon after that, the complainant saw a flashlight under his bedroom door and when he opened it to check, he saw the accused persons.

It said Edem pointed a pistol at him and asked him, his wife, and brother to lie flat.

The prosecution said the accused persons covered them with a bedspread and locked their two kids in their room.

It said Edem who was armed with a machete was asked to guard the compound and that Akyene took six Samsung mobile phones and an iPhone 6s valued at GHC 4,500.

The prosecution said Edem then took off the complainant’s wife’s wedding ring valued at GHC9,600.

It said the accused also took away jewelry valued at GHC15,000, two half pieces of Kente clothes, and other personal effects, $3,000 and GHC18,000.

The prosecution said the complainant reported the matter to the Police and during investigations the accused persons were nabbed at their various hideouts.

It said investigations also revealed that the implements the accused persons used in committing the offence were kept at a refuse dump, near a bush along Haatso-Agbogba road.

The prosecution said the accused persons led the police to the bush near TF Hostel, North Legon, Accra, where three pistols, a large industrial cutter, a self-designed metal bar, and two cutlasses used in various robberies were retrieved.

It said on August 21, 2020, Edem, who was at large, was arrested in Nigeria and with the assistance of INTERPOL, he was brought to Ghana.