The Asantehene’s Secretariat at Manhyia in Kumasi was on Friday raided by a gang of robbers who made away with 45 pieces of assorted wax prints, four pieces of men’s kente cloth, a piece of ladies’ kente cloth and other items worth millions of cedis.

According to Chief Inspector Kwasi Ofori of the Ashanti Region Police Public Relations Unit, the burglary took place in the early hours of Friday. The theft was reported to the police by the Adwarehene of the Asantehene, Nana Adu. The police have started investigations into the incident. In another development, the timely intervention of the Police Buffalo Unit in Kumasi foiled an attempt by another group of armed robbers to break into a textiles shop in Kumasi yesterday.

The robbers who engaged the police in a gun battle eventually fled leaving behind their Toyota Commuter Bus AS 5103 Q. Investigations also revealed that the Bus was stolen from the Atonsu residence of its owner. According to our Kumasi source, the robbers stormed the residence of the Bus owner at about 1 a.m and bolted with the bus amidst sporadic firing of warning shots.

The victim later reported to the Buffalo Unit of the Police Service but when the team arrived at the scene the robbers had left. The Buffalo Unit Team traced the robbers and found them in front of a textiles shop at Adum. On seeing the Police, the robbers opened fire on them but when the Police replied, the robbers grabbed the watchman of the store and used him as a shield to prevent the police from shooting at them.

The human shield however did not prevent the police from advancing on them. As soon as they saw that their trick was not working, they pushed the watchman away and fled in different directions. At the time of the intervention, the robbers had broken five of the padlocks securing the metal gate of the shop.