An angry mob at Huhunya, a community in the Eastern Region on Saturday killed a suspected armed robber by setting him ablaze.
The robber is said to be part of a three-man gang that was escaping attack from another community in which they had gone to steal.
A police report sighted by Citi News said that the robbers were on board a Toyota Corolla vehicle with registration number GW 4151 – 19 on a robbery spree within the Klo Agogo area in the region.
“They were spotted with sheep in the car and were chased from Agogo area through Boti falls area to Huhunya near Nkurakan. The group chasing them informed people of Huhunya to be on high alert. The suspects on reaching Huhunya found the Ghana Revenue Authority barrier closed. The unknown suspected thieves took to Sikaben- Otokporlu – Asesewa road direction,” the police report said.
The report added that the suspects killed two locals who were chasing them on a motorbike.
“A motor rider, Kwame Tetefio, aged 31, a beads maker took his unregistered motor bike and Aaron Padi Atema, aged 45, a labourer at the GRA barrier, a pillion rider chased the suspected thieves. On reaching about four kilometers away from the barrier the motor riders were said to have been knocked down by the thieves in the vehicle and they died instantly.”
The police said the suspected robbers in an attempt to escape made a detour back to Huhunya where they were caught but two of the suspects escaped, leaving one behind.
The angry mob destroyed the vehicle and locked up the suspect in the boot after which they set the car ablaze, killing him and the sheep in the car.
The Police who arrived at the scene later retrieved the body of the deceased and deposited it at the Koforidua hospital morgue while the unregistered motorbike and another sheep were seized from the scene.
The Police said it also has in its custody, a 20-year-old, Thomas Ayitey who is said to be a porter at the Kumasi Lorry station at Koforidua on suspicion that he is one of the two escapee robbers.
The was arrested by a mob who said they found him in a bush near Agogo Junction.
The Police said the suspect has denied knowledge of the incident saying that he was in the bush to convey lumber.