By Gifty Amofa
Accra, May 14, GNA – The Amasaman Circuit Court has sentenced a 23-year-old commercial motorbike rider, popularly known as “okadaman,” to eight years imprisonment with hard labour for robbery.
Issah Sadat admitted conspiring with two others; Koboah Nkotein, now deceased, and one Kojo, who is at large, to rob another person of a cellular phone.
The court convicted him accordingly but deferred sentencing to May 12, 2026.
Before sentencing, the court, presided over by Ms Susanna Nyakotey, asked Sadat about his educational background. He said he was a school dropout.
When asked whether he had learnt any trade and how he survived, Sadat replied that he worked as an auto mechanic and a commercial motorbike rider.
At that point, the prosecution informed the court that Sadat owned a motorbike, which had been impounded by the police.
Asked whether he had anything to say before sentence was pronounced, Sadat pleaded for leniency, explaining that he was married with children.
In delivering judgment, the court considered the convict’s age and the fact that he had not wasted the Court’s time.
Sadat was also asked whether he had any family member available to receive the seized motorbike. He answered in the negative, prompting the court to order that the motorbike be released to any family member who later showed up.
Presenting the facts, the prosecution said the complainant, Mr Samuel Arhinful Addo, was a carpenter residing at Oduman near Amasaman, while the robbery victim, Burhanudeen Suleiman, was his neighbour and also an “okada” rider.
Sadat, the prosecution said, resided at Agbogbloshie Konkonba.
The court heard that on April 19, 2026, at about 0340 hours, Suleiman and a witness, Saddick Hamidu, were returning home from a construction site when they reached the Oduman M/A School area.
Sadat and his two accomplices, riding a black Royal motorbike with registration number M-23-GR 531, attacked and robbed Suleiman of his G-mobile phone.
According to the prosecution, the victim raised an alarm and, with the assistance of community members, Sadat and Nkotein were arrested at the scene while the third suspect escaped.
One of the suspects was found seated on the ground while the other lay unconscious in a nearby gutter, the court heard.
Mr Addo subsequently alerted the Amasaman Patrol Team, which proceeded to the scene and rescued the suspects from an angry mob.
A search conducted at the scene led to the retrieval of a long knife hanging around the engine of Sadat’s motorbike and the victim’s G-mobile phone.
The items, together with the motorbike, were retained by police as exhibits.
Sadat and Nkotein were later sent to the Police Hospital for treatment. While Sadat was treated and discharged, Nkotein was pronounced dead by a medical officer.
The prosecution said police later accompanied Sadat to Agbogbloshie Konkonba on April 21, 2026, to help arrest the owner of the motorbike used in the robbery, but the suspect was not found.
A message was left for him to report to the Amasaman Police Station to assist investigations.
Kojo, the other alleged accomplice, also remains at large.
Sadat was subsequently charged and put before the Court, while police continue efforts to apprehend the remaining suspect.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe