Sekondi, March 20, GNA- A high court in Sekondi, on Wednesday sentenced four suspected armed robbers to a total of 200 years imprisonment in hard labour.

Salifu Musah, 23, a farmer from Walewale and Wedrago Adama, 21, national of Bukina Faso received 50 years each while

Ibrahim Issah, 20, cattle dealer from Bawku, was given 40 years and Mohammed Gariba, 30, a headsman from Sokoto in Nigeria had 60 years.

All the convicts pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime, robbery and assault.

Madam Patience Klinogo, a Principal State Attorney, told the court presided over by Justice Clemence J. Honyenugah that between July 30 and 31 last year, the four accused persons wielding pistols, mounted illegal road blocks at Apemanim on the Tarkwa-Takoradi highway at around 0100 hours and stopped vehicles plying that road.

She said the armed robbers compelled their victims to lie on the ground and took away their mobile phones, wrist watches, various sums of money and other personal belongings and beat those who resisted the action.

Madam Klinogo said when the accused saw a vehicle approaching from Tarkwa with a policeman on board they fled into a nearby rubber plantation.

She said the policeman organised a patrol team to the trouble spot but could not apprehend the armed robbers. Madam Klinogo said on July 31 at about 0500 hours

the accused on board a Takoradi bound bus from Agona

Nkwanta, were arrested at the Apremdo barrier. Madam Klinogo said 9,920,000 cedis, several mobile phones

without chips, talisman, rings and bracelet were found on them. She said Gariba was involved in a similar robbery case

in August 2005 but managed to escape arrest. Passing judgement, Justice Honyenugah said the accused

were "criminally matured and needed to be given deterrent

sentences to stop others from engaging in similar acts." He ordered that Gariba should be deported to his

country after completing his sentence. Justice Honyenugah also instructed that all the items and

money seized by the robbers should be returned to the owners

while some clothes, bag and talisman that the convicts were

carrying should be destroyed.