By Kamal Ahmed
Tema, July 28, GNA – Calls are mounting for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and President John Dramani Mahama to recognise and honour a Ghanaian man for his bravery after he helped police apprehend a suspected member of a robbery gang following a dramatic chase in Tema.
The man, identified only as Mr Ebenezer for security reasons, reportedly pursued the suspects in his BMW after they allegedly stole an undisclosed sum of money from a vehicle near the Tema Harbour.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Ebenezer said he was at a bank attending to personal business when he heard people shouting, “Thief! Thief!”
He said he was informed that a group of suspected robbers had stolen money from a vehicle and fled in a black Toyota RAV4 with registration number AS 7268-21.
According to him, police officers on motorbikes and the driver of a Ford Raptor initially joined the pursuit of the suspects towards the GTBank area at Community One in Tema.
However, he said the chase was abandoned after the officers and the Ford Raptor driver lost sight of the suspects’ vehicle and returned.
Mr Ebenezer said he then offered to assist the victim and invited him into his vehicle so they could continue searching for the suspects and identify the vehicle if sighted.
Being familiar with the Tema area, he said, he eventually spotted the black Toyota RAV4 on the opposite side of the road amid heavy traffic.
“The vehicle was being driven hurriedly along the shoulders of the road in an apparent attempt to escape. The victim identified it as the vehicle used by the suspected robbers,” he stated.
Mr Ebenezer said he immediately began pursuing the vehicle, manoeuvring through traffic along the road shoulders.
He noted that even after passing police officers stationed at a traffic point, the pursuit continued without the officers joining the chase.
According to him, the suspects later realised they were being followed, made a U-turn and sped away.
“Despite driving a manual BMW while the suspects were in an automatic vehicle, I refused to give up the chase,” he said.
The pursuit ended when the suspects drove into a pile of sand believed to have been deposited by the roadside for construction works.
Mr Ebenezer said that as the suspects attempted to free their vehicle, he rammed the rear of the Toyota RAV4, forcing it into a nearby gutter and causing one of its front tyres to burst.
He said three of the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot with part of the stolen money, while he and the victim apprehended one suspect.
With the assistance of a commercial motorbike rider, commonly known as an Okada rider, they restrained the suspect until police officers arrived.
Police officers from the Community Five area later took the suspect into custody and transported him to the Community Two Police Station.
The remaining three suspects reportedly escaped and are being pursued by the police.
Mr Ebenezer alleged that the gang might have been monitoring bank customers who withdraw large sums of money and following them to their destinations to carry out robberies.
The arrested suspect remains in police custody and is assisting with investigations, while efforts continue to identify and arrest the other members of the suspected gang.
Meanwhile, members of the public have called on the IGP and President Mahama to honour Mr Ebenezer for what they described as an exceptional act of courage and civic responsibility.
His BMW was reportedly damaged during the pursuit.
GNA
Edited by D. I. Laary/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Kamal Ahmed
Email: [email protected]