By Mohammed Balu
Dangi, July 05, (UW/R), GNA – A sick woman who was being transported from the Welembelle community to the Tumu District Hospital in the Sissala East Municipality died in the early hours of Friday after an armed robbery attack halted her emergency journey.
The attackers reportedly detained the passengers for several hours and forced them at gunpoint to lie down, while they ransacked the vehicle and made away with mobile phones and an undisclosed cash amount.
Mr Basit Mumuni, the driver of the vehicle transporting the deceased woman, narrated their ordeal to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
He said the incident occurred when the vehicle was stopped at gunpoint by a group of four armed men at the Dangi Junction on the Welembelle-Tumu stretch.
The delay in reaching the hospital resulted in the death of the sick woman, as she was pronounced dead on arrival at the Tumu Government Hospital.
The remains of the deceased had since been returned to Welembelle for burial in accordance with Islamic tradition.
Mr Jigne Suleman Musah, a resident of Welembelle, expressed concern about the incident, calling on the police and other security agencies to intensify patrols in the area and to ensure the perpetrators were identified to face justice.
“This is not just a robbery, it’s a death caused by sheer criminality. We need stronger security measures to protect lives,” he said.
Mr Musah argued that the absence of a resident medical doctor at the Welembelle Polyclinic to provide readily available services had increased referrals of some manageable health cases to Tumu and Wa on bad roads that continue to disturb inhabitants.
Checks by the GNA at the Tumu Police station revealed that the robbery incident occurred between Kong and Nankpawie at about 5:30 am on Friday, July 4, 2025.
The police account indicated that three people, including a teenage boy, travelling in a passenger vehicle from Tumu to Wa, also sustained gunshot injuries during the robbery.
The police added that the victims were transported to the Tumu hospital for examination and subsequently transferred to the Upper West Regional Hospital for further medical attention.
Police said investigations were underway to apprehend the attackers, but no arrests had been made yet at the time of filing this report.
ASP Johnson Adusei Poku, the Sissala East Municipal Police Commander, promised to bring the perpetrators to justice in the shortest possible time.
The Police Commander requested additional police officers to augment the personnel strength in the Municipality to help enhance their efforts in providing security to the people in the area.
As the community of Welembelle mourned the loss of a mother of four, there were increased calls by residents for increased protection by the Police and to ensure armed robbery attacks in the Sissala East are contained.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah