Dambai(V/R), Aug. 28, GNA - The police and military have begun joint patrols on the main Hohoe-Dambai road to protect life and property.

This followed last Monday August 21 roadblock by some armed robbers that attacked drivers and traders resulting in the death of Mr Evans Banini, driver of a Man Diesel Cargo truck.

Six armed robbers blocked the Tokoranu-Dormabin stretch of the Hohoe-Dambai road in the night and held the 11 occupants of the truck hostage for more than three hours and tortured them. Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Paul K. Gyempe, Hohoe Divisional Police Commander, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Dambai in the Krachi East District on Sunday, said strategies had been mapped out to protect life and property and assured traders plying the road of their safety.

He said the truck was coming to Dambai to cart foodstuffs to Nkawkaw, in the Eastern Region, when the traders were the robbers seized their mobile phones, money, personal effects and shot Banini in the right knee, he was left to bleed to death. Chief Superintendent Gyempe said Mr. Prince Opoku an assistant driver later drove the truck after the ordeal to Dambai with shattered windscreen from bullets shots. He said the corpse had been deposited at the Nkawkaw Holy Family hospital morgue.

Mr. Michael Gyato, Krachi East District Chief Executive said soldiers participating in "Operation Gong-Gong" at Kete-Krachi in the Krachi West District were assisting in security patrols He said the armed robbers attacked the traders on the same day the soldiers crossed to the other bank of the river after a weeklong operation at Dambai.

Mr. Gyato therefore, called for the establishment of a police post at Dormabin to augment security in the district, considering the vast distances between settlements.

He said the newly created district was facing problems including inadequate police personnel, telecommunication, deplorable roads and other logistics for effective policing and maintenance of law and order in the area.