Residents in Trom and Bornya both suburbs of New Juaben South Municipality in the Eastern Region are demanding enhanced security in their communities.
The two neighboring Communities are fast developing periurban areas with increasing human population and springing up of properties however has no police station increasing security vulnerability.
Many criminals have taken advantage of the security gab to lurk and perpetuate many criminalities particularly robbery and burglary.
Wahab Amadu, a resident told Mybrytfmonline.com that, “we are not safe in this area .since November 2020 the criminals are disturbing us. I for instance they broke into my room in my absence and took away my 52 inch flat TV set and other household properties. Many people have suffered the same so we are appealing to our MP Hon. Okyere Baafi and the MCE to help us get a Police post to improve security but for the meantime we want police Patrol to be frequent here “.
The calls by the residents follow the arrest of some West Africa Nationals suspected to be human traffickers and the rescue of about 20 victims by Police in the area over the weekend.
At least three Burkinabes suspected to be engaging in human trafficking are in Police custody in Koforidua while 20 victim’s mostly West African nationals including young women have been rescued in a spontaneous operation Saturday, January 9, 2020.
The suspects and their victims were rounded up in between Bornya and Trom -Junction 27 a suburb of New Juaben South Municipality.
Mybrytfmonline.com has gathered that the ringleaders from Burkinafaso rented two-bedroom apartments at Trom community which they used the internet to recruit their victims mostly from Burkinafaso and Mali under the guise of securing them well-paid jobs in Ghana.
However, upon arrival of their victims mostly at midnight ostensibly preventing them to know the location, they detain, extort monies from them, seize their traveling documents, mobile phones, abuse and exploit them.
One of the male victims who recently got trapped by the modus operandi of the suspects, however, managed to escape a few days ago by scaling over a wall around the house.
He picked a taxi and located a mosque in Koforidua township where after participating in the prayer, narrated his ordeal to the Muslim leadership through a French interpreter.
Subsequently, some youth from Koforidua Zongo numbering about 25 wielding cutlasses, sticks and other dangerous implements led by the escapee victim trailed and stormed the house where the suspects had detained their victims at about 3:30 am.
Wahab Amadu, a resident of Trom said the suspects upon seeing the mob locked up the rooms and pulled cutlasses threatening to kill anyone who attempted to enter. The mob however broke into the room.
He said after hours of clashes, police arrived at the scene around 9:30pm, arrested the suspects and their victims into a waiting commercial vehicle.
A white marker board that had french inscriptions was seen in the two-bedroom apartment where the suspects and the victims lodged.
About 30 mobile phones, Burkinabe Military and police uniforms, documents, ID cards, laptops, cameras, among others were retrieved from the suspects.
Wahab Amadu said residents in Trom and its environs feel insecure therefore appealing to the Police to intensify patrols since the entire area has no Police station.
The Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command Sargeant Francis Gomado has meanwhile said, the command will speak to the media on the arrest of the suspects and matters arising.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
