Armed robbers kill man, 33

Page 3: Daily Graphic, October 5, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ARMED robbers on Sunday allegedly killed a 33-year-old gym instructor at Dzorwulu after robbing him and a co-tenant.
The deceased, Daniel Owusu-Sekyere, was said to have been cut severally with a machete and died while escaping from his assailants.
Although initial reports indicated that Owusu-Sekyere was allegedly killed by some soldiers after he allegedly jumped the wall of the house into the next house, the police and co-tenants of the deceased say he could not have jumped a wall considering the machete wounds on him.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic, the landlord, Mr Patrick Kutame, who is a member of staff of the Survey Department, said at about 2:30a.m. on Sunday, he heard a shout for him to open the door to his main room.
He said when he enquired about who it was, there was a lull before the security man the deceased had brought to the house responded.
He said he suddenly became suspicious and refused to open the door.
According to him, he heard a big bang on his door ostensibly from a cement block with the view to breaking open the door.
Mr Kutame said he was shaken by that development and decided to call the police.
He said the next moment, he heard the robbers move to the boys quarters of the building and asked the occupants to open the door.
He said he spoke from his room asking the tenants not to open, since the people were armed robbers.
Mr Kutame said he heard another heavy bang on the doors at the boys quarters.
He said he later heard Owusu-Sekyere, who was said to be heavily built, plead with the robbers not to kill him.
For his part, Mr Princewill Ola, who is a student at the University of Ghana, Legon, said after the robbers, who numbered eight, had broken into his room they started scrambling for his belongings and asked for money.
He said the robbers took away his GH¢300, a DVD player, three wristwatches, four pairs of shoes, among others, after which they tied his hands and asked him to lie face down in the yard.
He said from his room, the robbers entered Owusu-Sekyere’s room where they took the deceased’s laptop, two Iphones, some money and items belonging to an ex-girlfriend of Owusu-Sekyere’s who was on a visit.
According to Mr Ola, the robbers then took Owusu-Sekyere to his car, which was parked outside, and asked him to open the boot.
He said when Owusu-Sekyere, who just returned from abroad four days ago, indicated that there was nothing in the boot, the robbers started hitting him.
Mr Ola said after a while, the robbers said Owusu-Sekyere was stubborn and started using the machetes on him.
He said the robbers later wanted to use him (Ola) as a decoy to gain access to the landlord’s room but Mr Kutame refused to open.
He said it was at that point in time that Owusu-Sekyere, whose brother is said to be a registrar at the Kumasi High Court, attempted to escape from the robbers but they pursued him and took him along to a place where they abandoned him.
Mr Ola said he saw Owusu-Sekyere dazed and struggled to stand on his feet and might have fallen in the bush just before some soldiers came around on hearing some gunshots in the area.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio-Atinga, confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic and said investigations were underway.