Notorious robber in police grips

A suspected robber on the police wanted list for the past five years has been arrested with two other accomplices.

The suspect was arrested after exchanging gun shots with security officers dispatched to apprehend him.

Samiru Salifu, a 27-year-old unemployed, had been on the police wanted list for allegedly engaging in robbery at residential areas, filling stations, as well as other violent crimes.

The two accomplices are a 59-year-old Moses Makini Binipom and his brother, Ibrahim Isaka,32, who are also unemployed.

Items retrieved from the suspects included two pump action guns, a pistol, a long dagger, 60 rounds of pistol pellets, six rounds of  AA cartridges and three mobile phones.

Exchange of guns   

Suspect Samiru Salifu, who sustained gunshot wounds during the shootout with the police, is also a land guard at the centre of a number of disputed land cases.

Odorkor District Crime Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Emmanuel Osei Agbogah,  said the suspect was arrested on Thursday, January 2, 2014 from his hideout at Ablekuma Fanmilk in Accra on a tip-off. 

He said on that fateful Thursday, at about 3 a.m, the police had information that Samiru had taken two ladies hostage at Olebu in Accra.

“When the police patrol team got there, he started firing indiscriminately and the police returned the fire. In the process, he sustained gunshot wounds but managed to escape,” said Mr Agbogah.

At 6 a.m. the same day, the Odorkor Crime Officer said the police had information that the suspect was hiding at Ablekuma Fanmilk “so a team was dispatched to effect his arrest.”

Weapons buried 

During interrogation, Samiru was said to have confessed that he was the one behind some violent crimes and robberies, and mentioned the names of his accomplices, some of whom the police are holding on to as efforts are being made to apprehend them. 

“He also said he had weapons including pump action guns, a pistol, which he had given to Ibrahim to bury,” said Mr Agbogah.

An intensive search was mounted for Ibrahim Isaka who was later arrested “and he led the police to a bush to retrieve the weapons which had been buried.”

Ibrahim Isaka told the police that he had exchanged one of the pump action guns for a piece of land from Moses Binipon who was arrested but said he had sent the weapon to Dambai in the Volta Region.

Victims

DSP Agbogah said the weapon had been retrieved and that six victims had since been helping the police with investigations.

Among the victims was a man who has had one of his legs amputated as a result of gunshot wounds he sustained from Samiru, one with an infected wound from the long dagger and another whose right hand had been slashed off.

They all told the police Samiru carried out his operations at gun-point and sometimes amidst gunshots.

The Odorkor crime officer said Samiru and the two suspects would be put before court, while the police pursued the other suspects who had been mentioned.