Nkawkaw, April 5, GNA- The residents in seven houses at Nkawkaw have been attacked and robbed of huge sums of money over the past week by gangs of armed robbers.

The youthful armed gangs, suspected to be aged between 12 and 24 years armed with weapons such as rifles, pistols, cutlasses, knives and clubs attacked, wounded and robbed ten victims of various sums of money totalling over 20 million cedis, mobile phones and personal effects at Achease, Asuogya, White House and Brotherhood Church areas, all suburbs of Nkawkaw.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday, Mr Nkansah Asante, popularly known as "60", a businessman and one of the victims said at about 0200 hours on April 1, this year, he was awakened by an unusual noise outside his house at the Brotherhood Church area and saw five men hitting his main gate with cement blocks to force the it open. He said the armed robbers were able to force the main gate open, entered his room, assaulted and stabbed him on the face and they were able to take away eight million cedis and personal effects from him, his wife, mother-in-law and a sister-in-law.

Mr Asante said from his house, the armed robbers went to the residence of Mr Kwesi Agyekum, alias "Akonta", a tailor and stole about one million cedis and a mobile phone and again proceeded to one Mr Peter Morbu's house and robbed the residents.

The armed robbers continued their operations at Achiase and Asuogya where they forced their way into the houses of Beatrice Ntiamoah, Elder Sammy Ameyaw and Kofi Osei and made away with over seven million cedis and a mobile phone after inflicting serious injuries on the head of Elder Ameyaw. Mr Asante said the armed robbers also robbed the residents of three houses at the White House and other suburbs of the town within the week. When the Nkawkaw Police was contacted, they confirmed the reports about the robberies and said they have been able to arrest two suspects at Nkawkaw and six others at Mpraeso for interrogation.

A number of people interviewed in the town, appealed to the Ministry of Defence to assist the police in the area with soldiers to supplement the efforts of the police to protect the people in the area from armed robbers during the Easter holidays.