Okada rider charged for robbing 5 people in a row

Solomon Ohene, 21 and an Okada rider, has been accused of using an offensive weapon to rob five women in a row at Ablekuma, Pokuase and Amasaman, all in the Greater Accra Region.

He was charged before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah.

The accused pleaded not guilty to four counts of robbery and was remanded into police custody to reappear on May 30, 2023.

Brief facts

The court was told by the prosecuting officer, ASP Maxwell Oppong, that the complainants were Dorcas Boatemaa, trader, Sarah Yeboah, trader, Beatrice Dery, salesperson, Bernice Nimako, student, and Faustina Asantewaa Arthur, a trader. They reside at Ablekuma, Pokuase and Amasaman.

He said the accused was a commercial motorbike rider residing at ‘3’ Junction at Amasaman, and in the evening of Sunday 18 December, 2022, Solomon met his accomplice, Edmund Kojo (now deceased), at the washing bay at ‘3’ Junction where he lives with his uncle to hatch a plan to rob.

They allegedly planned to embark on a robbery expedition the next day at 3:00am.  Therefore, on Monday, December 19, 2022, at the agreed time, the deceased arrived at the same location with an unregistered Royal motorbike, and they set off for their robbery expedition.

The duo, upon reaching Ablekuma Fan Milk at about 4:30am, spotted Dorcas by the roadside and they quickly stopped and rushed on her with cutlasses, threatening to kill her if she failed to hand over her handbag.

Dorcas then surrendered her handbag containing one iPhone 6x Plus and cash of GH¢300.00 with her identification cards, the alleged criminals sped off on the motorbike.

At about 4:45am of the same day, and with the same modus operandi, they attacked Sarah, inflicted cutlass wounds on her left arm, and succeeded in robbing her off her handbag, which contained a small Nokia phone and cash of GH¢30.00 at Ablekuma junction.

They further attacked Beatrice at Pokuase Mayeraat and after threatening to kill her, she surrender her bag containing Christmas vouchers and other personal effects, together with her Samsung Galaxy A12.

The alleged robbers proceeded to Sonitra at Amasaman at about 5:40am, where they robbed Bernice off her handbag containing one Samsung Galaxy Tablet and cash of GH¢42.00.

And just about 100 metres away from Bernice, they attacked another woman, Faustian, and succeeded in robbing her off a small keypad phone and cash of GH¢500.00.

The police, upon receiving several distress calls, traced and chased the accused and his accomplice.

The prosecutor further said the two, having noticed the closeness of the police, abandoned the motorbike and fled on foot. But luck eluded them, since they were chased and attacked by a mob.

Although they were rescued by the police, Edmund Kojo died shortly after, and during investigation Solomon admitted the offences.

He was charged per the offences stipulated on the charge sheet and brought before court.