Police in Ghana have gunned down two suspected armed robbers who allegedly killed a London-based MTA International journalist, Syed Taaley Ahmed Sahib, on the Tamale-Buipe road last week.
A journalist was in Ghana working on a documentary assessing Ghana’s peace and security. He lost his life when unknown gunmen attacked the vehicle he was riding in on Monday, August 23, 2021.
Police said they killed two of the gunmen and arrested four others – Saaju Bukari, Bertor Saabi, Ali Amadi and Isaac Seidu – on a highway linking central and northern Ghana.
The quartet were arrested following an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Special Anti-Robbery Task Force, police said, adding that the operation also resulted in the killing of two robbers after they exchanged gunshots with the Police Intelligence and Operational Teams.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that these suspects were behind many robberies including the killing of an international journalist some days ago,” a police statement said.
Weapons and stolen items were recovered from the gang, the police statement said.
The gunmen were said to have emerged from the bush and opened fire on the journalist and his colleague, Umaru Abdul Hakim, forcing their vehicle to a halt. The criminals made away with the journalists’ gadgets and some unspecified amount of money but Ahmed had already been hit by bullets.
Meanwhile, former Ghanaian President John Mahama had condemned the killing of the MTA International journalist.
In a statement signed by his Special Aide, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, the former president noted that “it is truly ironic that a journalist working on a documentary on peace and security should die from an incident of highway robbery, which has become symptomatic of the violent crime currently consuming our country.”
He added, “the now rampant criminal activity of armed robbers in the northern parts of the country is a cause for great concern, as they are fast becoming a daily occurrence. In recent times, these armed robbers have become so emboldened that they [are] not only terrorizing road users in the night but in the daytime as well.”
He called on President Nana Akufo-Addo, to urgently address the worrying development.
