The Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) have been urged to ensure that banks use armoured bullion vans for Cash-in-transit (CIT) operations to reduce the frequency of robbery attacks on these vehicles.
The call was made by George Ayisi, a Government Spokesperson, on TV3’s Big Issue on Friday, June 23. He expressed his trust and confidence in the current IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare to bring to justice the robbers who ambushed a bullion van at Ablekuma in Accra on Thursday, June 22, killing a Police officer in the process.
“I have absolute trust and confidence in the current IGP to apprehend the perpetrators,” he said after making his appeal to the BoG and the IGP to curb the attacks.
The central bank had issued a directive in 2021 for all financial institutions to acquire armoured bullion vans by July 1, 2023 or risk being denied access to any of its premises nationwide.
This deadline was extended after a robbery attack on a Bullion Van at James Town in which a police officer was killed and another bystander was hit with a stray bullet.
The spate of robbery attacks on officers escorting sub-standard vehicles for cash transfers prompted the Inspector General of Police to threaten not to escort any vehicle without adequate protection for police officers.
Regarding the attack at Ablekuma, the police issued a stern warning to the robbers behind the killing of their colleague.
The officer was shot multiple times at close range while he was on security duty in front of a bullion van.
The unfortunate incident followed an attempted robbery at the Star Oil Filling Station at Ablekuma Fan Milk, a suburb of Accra.
The robbers were four in number and they had trailed the bullion van, which had gone to refill at the fuel station, where they opened fire.
“The police are on a manhunt to arrest a gang of four robbers who attacked a bullion van at Ablekuma Fanmilk, a suburb of Accra and shot the police escort who has unfortunately passed on,” a statement from the police said.
“Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of our deceased colleague in particular and all personnel of the Police Service in general.
“We wish to assure the public that we will surely get the robbers arrested to face justice.”
