Kumasi, Oct. 7, GNA - The Ejura-Sekyedumase District Assembly has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to act quickly to end the upsurge in armed robbery attacks in the area.

Mr Mathew Kojo Njourkone, Chairman of Justice and Security Sub-Committee of the Assembly, in an interview with GNA in Kumasi, expressed worry that the miscreants were operating with impunity. He said they armed themselves with pump-action guns, locally manufactured pistols, machetes and other deadly weapons, blocked roads and robbed travellers and raided homes.

Mr Njourkone said the robbers also rapped women, killed and inflicted cuts on victims adding that the insecurity caused by the criminals was affecting economic activities in the area. He said "Patronage of the once vibrant yam and maize market at Ejura as well as those in other communities in the district is on the decline as farmers, traders and buyers were afraid of being attacked", while some public service employees were also being forced to leave the area.

Mr Njourkone said the Police in the district could not deal with the situation due to inadequate logistics and personnel and cited that there were only 41 Policemen in the area with a population of more than 80,000. He stressed that there was urgent need for Police reinforcement in the area to give protection to the law-abiding people. Mr Njourkone said "It would not be out of place to station a special crack Police detachment at Ejura, to fight the robbers." 8 Oct. 09 Attention recipients, item 02 ends first cast.