Two more arrested over Mfansteman MP murder
Two more persons have been arrested in connection with the death of the Mfansteman MP, Ekow Quanssah Hayford, who was attacked by a gang suspected to be armed robbers.
The accused persons currently standing trial are now eight.
The identities and charges of the two new suspects, who were present in court is yet to be revealed.
But the six who were earlier arrested in connection to the crime are Alhassan Abubakar, Naziru Fudailu Nash popularly called SP, Alhassan Mahama Yahaya, Amadu Yakubu, Haruna Osumanu and Adam Alhassan.
The six accused persons have been slapped with two counts — conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
Inspector Emmanuel Haligah, standing in for the substantive prosecutor informed the Accra Circuit Court of the latest development on Friday.
He also told the court the prosecutor in charge of the case, Thomas Sarfo, is currently at a training program hence his absence.
Inspector Halligah, however, prayed for a long adjournment to allow the prosecution file an amended charge sheet.
Background
The Mfantseman legislator, Ekow Quanssah Hayford, was shot and killed on October 9, 2020, after his car was attacked by a gang suspected to be armed robbers.
The MP was returning from campaign duties when the incident happened.
The 49-year-old MP was in his vehicle with his driver and the constituency’s First Vice-Chairman when he was shot.
Facts
According to the facts of the case, the first accused person (A1), Alhassan Abubakar is a mobile phone repairer living at Akwatia Line, Kumasi.
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The second accused person (A2), Naziru Fudailu Nash popularly called SP is a businessman living at Aboabo number 2, Kumasi.
The third accused person (A3), Alhassan Mahama Yahaya also known as Mystical Cloud is unemployed living at Dansoman.
The fourth accused person (A4) Amadu Yakubu is a mobile money agent living at Mankessim Zongo.
The fifth accused person (A5) Haruna Osumanu is a trader living at Mankessim.
The sixth accused person (A6) is Adam Alhassan. The other accused persons are currently on the run.
Prosecution said on October 9, 2020, about 1:00am, police had information that armed robbers had barricaded a section of the road between Abeaze-Dominase and Duadze on the Mankessim-Assufosu highway.
The accused person robbed commuters of their mobile phones, monies and other valuables.
On receipt of the information, police quickly mobilised men and proceeded to the scene but narrowly missed the robbers.
At the scene, police saw a number of vehicles parked on the road with some of the victims who had sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds with one dead.
According to the prosecution, the body was later identified as the Member of Parliament for Mfansteman constituency, Ekow Quansah Hayford.
Two of the victims were seriously injured. One Patrick Asante, a KIA truck driver and Uncle Issah the late MP’s driver.
Police cleared the road and conveyed the victims to Winneba and Cape Coast Hospitals for medical attention.
The body of the deceased Member of Parliament Ekow Quansah Hayford was also deposited at the Saltpond Mortuary pending autopsy.
The late MP for Mfansteman filed his nominations on October 8, 2020, for re-election and decided to visit four communities in the Taabosom electoral area, namely, Effutakwa, Opim, Takoradi and Duadze.
After having visited the communities with his campaign team members; Yaw Berchie, Nuako Frederick, Stephen Atteh Allan, Frank Asiedu, Emmanuel Bandoo and the driver, Uncle Issah were on their way back to Mankessim when the unfortunate happened.
Fast forward, the police tracked the mobile phone of the deceased to Kumasi and arrested A2 at Aboabo in possession of the deceased Samsung galaxy 850.
The second accused person mentioned A1 as the person who sold the phone to him at GH₵780.00.
A2 then led the police to Akwatia line where A1 was also arrested. A1 also mentioned A7 as the one who sold the phone to him at GH₵680.00.
A3, A4, A5 and A6 were all arrested in connection with the robbery and murder of the late MP.
Efforts are underway to get the seventh accused person and the other accomplices who are at large.
These hoodlums and misfits should be dealt with high-handedness that the authorities deem fit, because they also show same to their victims leading to the murder of the late Hon. MP. If they need to face the firing squad, so be it.
Can’t we think of dispatching our military late at night on the highways, what are we waiting for? It was not only the late MP that was attacked, other citizens too fell prey. Please let us dispatch the Military and the menace of arm robbery which has become a lucrative business for some lazy youths will be a thing of the past. When the Military start reducing their numbers into the graves, they will think twice coming out to embark on their absurd livelihoods called robbery.