Mampong (Ash), March 24, GNA - A two-year-old boy was killed when a highway robbery gang opened fire on a 207 Mercedes Benz passenger bus on the Ejura-Aframso road on Tuesday night. Buako died of his gunshot wounds shortly after he was taken to the Ejura Government Hospital.

His mother, Esi Bosomtwe, and the driver of the vehicle, Kwasi Bonnie, were also hit by bullets and are on admission at the hospital. They are reported to be in stable condition. Chief Superintendent of Police Edward Oduro Kwateng, the Asante-Mampong Divisional Commander, told the Ghana News Agency that the vehicle was carrying traders from Senya Beraku in the Central Region to Yeji. On reaching a spot near Aframso at about 2345 hours, the driver saw the road had been blocked with logs and put the vehicle into reverse gear in a bid to escape.

In the process, the bus run into a ditch and the robbers, who were hiding in the bush, fired at them hitting the child and the two others. The robbers made away with an unspecified amount of money, cell phones and other valuables belonging to the passengers. He said when the police got to the scene the criminals had already fled and appealed to the public to provide them with leads to track down the gang and bring them to justice. Travelling on the Asante-Mampong-Ejura-Aframso-Atebubu highway has become nightmarish with frequent attacks on travellers by robbery gangs.