By: Murtala Issah
A thirty-year-old tipper truck driver resident in Tamale, has been sentenced to forty years in prison for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
The convict, Adamu Issah, first appeared in court on October 26, 2022 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the Prosecution, Adamu Issah and his accomplice, identified as Alhassan and currently at large, on May 24, 2022, snatched a Toyota Hillux at gunpoint at Gbanyamni, a suburb of Tamale.
The Pick-UP truck contained mobile phones, a laptop and other electronic gadgets belonging to the victim. Police investigations led to Adamu’s arrest at the Tamale Circuit court, where he was standing trial for another crime.
A search at Adamu’s home produced a pendrive that belonged to the victim of the car snatching incident on May 24.
Adamu earlier served a two year sentence for car snatching. The court, presided over by Justice, Eric Ansah Ankomah, in pronouncing judgement, took into consideration the convicts criminal records.
A police source earlier told GBC NEWS, that Adamu was part of a car snatching syndicate operating between Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso. The syndicate targeted high value vehicles especially Toyota Hillux and Land Cruisers.
The source revealed that, about fifteen vehicles were snatched at gunpoint between January and October 2022 alone.
The development heightened security concerns in the Northern region, particularly between the months of June and October 2022, leading to the deployment of more police personnel across the region.
Adamu’s fate could worsen in the coming months as he is also standing trial for another robbery related crime at the Tamale High Court.