Conflicting Reports On Deaths in Tatale Armed Robbery Case

By Edmond Gyebi

The Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Patrick Adu Sarpong, has confirmed that three persons have been killed in a gun battle at Tatale in the Tatale-Sanguli District of the Northern Region.

Even though reports from some community members have put the number of people killed at seven and nine, the Commander insisted that those killed were two armed robbers and one community member.

Some media houses also reported that seven persons were killed in the gun battle, including four suspected armed robbers, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman for Nyojado, and two others.

This occurred after some suspected armed robbers besieged the Tatale market and robbed some traders of their sales on Sunday evening at gun point. According to the Regional Police Commander, a mobile money vendor and some local forex bureaux operators were robbed of undisclosed amounts of money.

However, the police in the area, who were called to the scene, in collaboration with some of the residents, chased the robbers who were firing guns, and managed to kill two of them. The robbers, who were shooting indiscriminately, also ended up killing one of the community members.

However, four of the robbers managed to escape. Two of the traders who sustained bullet wounds are currently receiving treatment at the Zabzugu Polyclinic, according to a report.

Meanwhile, a community member, who spoke to The Chronicle from Tatale, also dropped a different figure of nine deaths. According to the community member, five of the armed robbers had been killed so far, while four of the community members, including the NDC Chairman, popularly known as "Paapa", had also lost their lives.

The source questioned why the police in the district want to disclose a lower figure of three, instead of nine.

When contacted earlier, the Tatale-Sanguli District Police Commander, Eric Akoboah, said he was not in the district and could, therefore, not give any credible information. He, therefore, referred this reporter to the Northern Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO), ASP Mohammed Yussif Tanko, who also declined comment, and directed the reporter to speak to his boss, the Regional Commander.

ACP Patrick Adu Sarpong, however, maintained, in the interview with The Chronicle, that two armed robbers and one community member, who joined the police to arrest the robbers, were killed.

Commending the people of the area for offering the needed support to his men on the ground to apprehend the criminals, ACP Adu Sarpong disclosed that most of the people, together with the police, had still mounted a search for the remaining robbers.

He could not confirm whether the person who was shot by the robbers was the NDC Chairman. At the time of this interview, his information was that the robbers had taken cover around the banks of the Oti River.

He assured that the police would continue to search for the robbers, in order to ensure that lives and property were protected.

The Police Commander also sent his condolences to the family of the community member who lost his life.

The Tatale Market has been an attractive place for most armed robbers to stage their operations, due to its proximity to the Ghana-Togo border. It also serves as "black market" for the trading and changing of foreign currencies, especially the CFA, which makes it attractive for robbers.

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