Kwabenya Police Station Attack: Ring leader smoked out

A man, who claimed to be 28 years old, has been identified by the police administration as the mastermind of the deadly attack on the Kwabenya Police Station, which left a police officer dead.

The police said Kofi Acheampong, the supposed spiritualist, is suspected to be the supplier of weapons to the six armed men who launched the attack to free seven inmates from cells last week, killing Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi in the process.

Police reports indicate that Acheampong aka Nana Owuo, who is wearing dreadlocks, was not happy with the arrest of some of his men who were locked up at the Kwabenya police cells for robbery and possession of firearms.

As a result, he masterminded the attack to get his men released from lawful custody; and four out of the seven escapees were said to be operating under him.

The suspects are expected to be put before court today.

Police say Nana Owuo therefore gathered the rest of his men to plan with the help of one Nancy Bentaa aka Awura Ama, a food vendor operating close to the police station.

The four believed to be operating under Acheampong’s supervision are Prince Osei, Dickson Ofori, 24; Edem Rockson and Chibuzor Akwabu, 34.

Suspects Osei, Ofori and Rockson operated separately from Akwabu and others, (yet to be identified), but they all reported to Acheampong.

Akwabu was said to be among seven other suspected armed robbers who attacked a filling station at Kwabenya, but their operation was foiled when the police had information of their activity and engaged them in a gun battle at the scene.

Akwabu was shot in the process and was later taken to the Police Hospital in Accra for treatment by the police.

“She sometimes collected the mobile phones of the inmates to charge and secretly returned them to them under the guise of serving them food,” a police source revealed.

Sources say because she is a known food vendor in the area, the police gave her easy access to the inmates without subjecting her to search on several occasions.

The police said while in custody, the three friends – Ofori, Edem and Chibuzor Akwabu – were often updated on any development by Nana Owuo through telephone conversations.

According to the police, the communication among the inmates and the attackers greatly facilitated the success of the plan.

Seven of the inmates took advantage to escape from custody, but seven others refused to escape.

Three of the jail breakers were later recaptured by the police.

Sources have hinted that upon his arrest, Osei, who was nabbed together with Kofi Darko for possessing firearms without authority, mentioned Acheampong as their source of weapon supply and that he went for the weapon from Acheampong for a planned robbery attack.

Acheampong, however, denied the allegation and accused Osei of stealing the gun from him.

Kofi Acheampong was arrested on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at Afienya.

Cultic items such as coffin and skeletons were found at his place when a search was conducted by the police.

On Saturday, January 27, 2018, Kofi Seshie, the armed man who allegedly pulled his trigger and shot Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi, and four others were arrested at Kasoa in the Central Region.

The rest have been identified as Sarba George, 23; George Asante, 33; Theophilus Banda, 25 and Elvis Owusu, 31.

This brings to 11, the number of suspects arrested in connection with the attack on the Kwabenya Police Station.