CCTV footage to determine how a lawyer was robbed off $114k, £800 and €3k

An application for extension of time has been granted by an Accra Circuit Court to enable the prosecution critically scrutinise a video footage and identify the individuals suspected to have participated in the alleged robbing of Lawyer Hamida Nuhu.

The court, presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah, has given the prosecution up to November 11, 2023 to identify and establish which of the eight persons standing trial allegedly robbed the lawyer as captured in the CCTV footage.

The accused persons are Mawuli Heletsi, aka Mosquito (A1); David Kokvina (A2); Joseph Nii Amu Offei, alias Gaza, aka Hero (A3); Richmond Tetteh, alias Metiti (A4); Malik Alhassan, alias Goliath @ Ababe (A5); Dennis Adu Ninson, alias NAM1 (A6); Mustapha Mumuni, alias Starboy (A7), and Zuberu Mustapha, alias One Corner (A8).

They have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime, robbing Lawyer Hamida Nuhu off US$114,500.00; £800.00; GH¢50,000.00 and €3,000.00, and dishonestly receiving.

At gunpoint, the accused persons took away another GH¢2,000.00; US$800.00, as well as quantities of jewellery from the lawyer.

The monies were allegedly taken from the lawyer’s trunk inside her closet at her Premier Place home, Airport Residential Area, in Accra. The accused persons are between the ages of 20 and 42 years, with Richmond being the youngest and Mustapha the oldest.

Bail

Mustapha and Zuberu were granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 each with two sureties, one of who should be an income earner and the other an ordinary citizen.

Joseph, Richard and Malik were also admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 each, with three sureties, one to be justified and the others income earners.

Dennis, on the other hand, was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢800,000.00 with three sureties, one to be justified, while the other an ordinary citizens.

Facts

The case, which was presented by Superintendent Augustine Yirenkyi, was that all of the accused persons are residents of Maamobi, Shukura, Santa Maria, Kokomba Market and Adabraka-Sahara respectively.

Mawuli, David, Joseph and Richmond allegedly attacked and robbed the complainant, Lawyer Hamida Nuhu, on March 26, 2023, at about 2:04am, with the other accomplices surrounding the house.

Mawuli, who was dressed in all black and in a mask, armed with a pistol entered the room of the complainant, attacked and robbed her off USS$114,500.00; GH¢50,000.00; £800 and €3,000, which were in a trunk in her closet.

The prosecutor said Mawuli also took away another GH¢2,000.00, US$800.00 and an unspecified amounts of other foreign currencies, including jewellery. He said after A1 finished robbing the complainant, he instructed her to remain in the room else she would be killed.

After the incident, Lawyer Hamida Nuhu lodged a complaint with the police, and intelligence led to the arrest of Joseph, who was captured by a CCTV camera arriving at the scene on a motorbike. The CCTV camera also captured the entry and exit of Mawuli from the complainant’s residence.

Richard, on the other hand, was arrested after displaying his share of the booty at Gaza Spot. He disclosed to the police investigation team that David was the one who gave him one of the rings they took from the complainant as his share, but Mawuli collected it from him with force.

Malik was also arrested and pointed out that he gave his share of the spoils to Mustapha and Zuberu. Malik and Dennis, after their arrest, admitted giving Mustapha GH¢2,000.00 from Malik’s share of the March 27, 2023 robbery.

Although Zuberu admitted having received a laptop from Malik, the latter, however, insisted that he gave him US$500.00, and added that before they went for the robbery, Mustapha and Zuberu gave him cocaine to boost him for the operation. Dennis has denied the offence and stated that it was Mawuli and David who committed the act.

According to Supt Yirinkyi further investigations revealed that Mawuli and David, after the robbery, ran to Dambai in the Oti Region to consult their spiritual father, who is now a witness in the case, to protect them spiritually from arrest and unnatural death. The prosecutor said efforts were being made to apprehend the other accomplices, as the case is still under investigation.