POLICE OFFICER KILLED BY ROBBERS (PAGE 31)

A police officer in Kumasi became the target of a gang of armed robbers at dawn on Monday, when he was subjected to a barrage of gunshots at his private residence, leading to his death.
The officer, who was identified as Chief Inspector Prince Nyame, met his fate when he visited his private residence at Medoma, a Kumasi suburb.
After succeeding in breaking into the house, the robbers demanded money from the policeman, and when he could not meet their demand, they shot him in the thigh, causing him to bleed profusely.
The robbers were said to have returned to the house moments after they had left to shoot the officer on different parts of his body to increase his agony and pain.
This was after the gang had identified his picture hanging in the hall, which he had taken wearing a police outfit, and which identified him as a police officer.
The police could not tell whether the robbers shot him because he was a police officer.
The deceased, who was about 56 years, was stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department of the Central Police Station in Kumasi.
Neighbours could not offer immediate help to convey the injured police officer to hospital on time to save his life, and they only went to his aid hours after they were certain that the robbers had left the scene.
When they went to his rescue, however, he had lost a lot of blood and finally gave up the ghost when he was being rushed to hospital to receive medical help.
A neighbour who was also attacked by the gang, nonetheless, survived the ordeal and is on admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Chief Inspector Mohammed Tanko, the officer in charge of the Public Affairs Unit of the Ashanti Regional Police, said investigations were ongoing to unravel the mystery surrounding the attack.
He noted that the attack came at a time the police in Kumasi were in control of the battle against armed robbers.
He pointed out that the menace of armed robbery, which was on the ascendancy, had been brought under control and said the incident was not only unfortunate but also reinforced the need for civil society to join hands with the police in their battle against armed robbers.
He said of late armed robbery attacks in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs had been concentrated on the outskirts where access roads were very poor.
He said because of the poor nature of roads at such places, it was difficult to provide emergency support to victims of armed robbery and, therefore, called for an improvement of the road networks at such places to make them motorable.
He gave the assurance that the police would initiate the necessary investigations to apprehend the culprits.