‘It is ironic for a journalist to die from an incident of highway robbery’ – Mahama

• Syed Taalay Ahmed was killed in Ghana while working on a documentary

• John Dramani Mahama has condemned the killing of the journalist

Former President John Dramani Mahama, has condemned the recent killing of a London-based MTA International journalist, Syed Taaley Ahmed Sahib, on the Tamale-Buipe road by armed robbers.

The journalist who was in Ghana working on a documentary assessing Ghana’s peace and security met his untimely death when the vehicle he was travelling on, Toyota Hiace, was accosted by some unknown gunmen at about 7 pm on Monday, August 23, 2021, around Mpaha Junction.

The gun-wielding men emerged from a nearby bush and opened fire on the journalist and his colleague, Umaru Abdul Hakim, by deflating the tyres of the vehicle bringing it to a halt before firing at their vehicle.

The based MTA International crew were hit by bullets from the criminals and made away with the gadgets and unspecified amount of money.

Reacting to this in a statement signed by his Special Aide, Joyce Bawa Mogtari and sighted by GhanaWeb, John Dramani Mahama stated that, “it is truly ironic that a journalist working on a documentary on peace and security should die from an incident of highway robbery, which has become symptomatic of the violent crime currently consuming our country.”

He added, “the now rampant criminal activity of armed robbers in the northern parts of the country is a cause for great concern, as they are fast becoming a daily occurrence. In recent times, these armed robbers have become so emboldened that they [are] not only terrorizing road users in the night but in the daytime as well.”

Mahama’s statement further said, during his recent thank you tour in the five regions in the north, he met with the chiefs and people where they “mentioned insecurity on the highways as one of the key” challenges they are facing.

He, then, called upon President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to urgently address the worrying development.

Meanwhile, some four persons are currently in police custody for their alleged involvement in some robbery and murder cases on the Kintampo-Buipe-Tamale highway.

The four – Saaju Bukari, Bertor Saabi, Ali Amadi and Isaad Seidu – were arrested following an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Special Anti-Robbery Task Force.

The operation also resulted in the killing of two robbers after they exchanged gunshots with the Police Intelligence and Operational Teams.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that these suspects were behind many robberies including the killing of an international journalist some days ago,” a statement issued by the police on Sunday, August 29 said.

Read below John Mahama’s full statement.