Jasikan, Feb. 23, GNA - Highway robbers on Tuesday subjected commuters to intimidation on two occasions on the same segment of the Jasikan-Hohoe road network seizing cash and mobile phones.

The first robbery occurred at about 0230 hours and the other between 2030 and 2100 hours precisely between Akpafu-Mempeasem and Akpafu Odomi. The robbers, who barricaded the road with logs, succeeded in robbing a Benz bus and an Urvan bus in the first instance while another Benz bus and a private car were subjected to unwarranted searches with personal valuable= s being taken away in the second instance.

A cabby driver, who spotted the robbery ahead and made a u-turn and sped off, was fired at by the robbers.

Nana Kumessy Bonsy, Jasikan District Chief Executive (DCE), briefing the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, said his outfit and two sister districts, Hohoe and Kadjebi, have had an emergency security meeting to strategise towards stemming the phenomenon of highway robbery. He said this had resulted in a shooting encounter with the Police and the robbers between Mempeasem and Odomi, who fled into the bush. The DCE appealed to the communities, hospitals and clinics in those areas to be on the lookout for injured victims and provide links leading to the arrest of suspicious members of the public.

Nana Bonsy appealed to travellers who fell victims to highway robberie= s should as a matter of security urgency report such incidences to the Police= , which could play vital roles to apprehend them. He urged commuters to avoid night travels and gave the assurance that the security in collaboration with the three districts would eventually clampdown on the nefarious activities of the robbers.