Bullion-van attack: traumatised people of Ablekuma following the occurrence

Residents of the Accra neighbourhood of Ablekuma claim to be in shock at the robbery attack on a bullion truck that was carried out in the style of Rambo and resulted in the murder of a young police officer.

On June 22, as seen by CCTV cameras, a police officer serving as an escort was shot multiple times at close range while seated in the front passenger seat of the car.

After the thieves fled the scene, some locals who remained behind told Joynews they were still shaken by the experience.

“I heard the sound of the gunshots, but I couldn’t place their source. Therefore, it was when I saw him cocking his revolver that I realised the killer was standing directly in front of me.

I just had to go after hearing gunshots after 20 seconds; I lost count of how many rounds there were.

Another concerned person who heard the gunshots made suggestions of leaving the neighbourhood.

“I was lying down when I heard gunshots, and I woke up to find the armed bandits in the petrol station. I instructed my pal to get inside when I observed him trying to film with a camera when robbers are around.

I was horrified when I spotted one of the criminals approaching me while continuing to fire rounds. He said, “If I receive any money, I’ll get out of here.

The four armed robbers are the subject of a manhunt launched by the police.

Questions have been raised concerning banks’ adherence to the Bank of Ghana’s instruction to purchase standard armored-plated bullion vans for their operations in the wake of the incident.

This occurred after a similar bullion van robbery assault at Jamestown in Accra in June 2021 resulted in the death of another young police officer.

Banks and specialised deposit institutions were required to replace soft-skinned vehicles by July 1, 2023, according to a statement dated October 15, 2020.

The European Standard B6 Ballistic protection for passenger compartments and the European Standard B4 for cargo compartments are the norms that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has set.

The BoG stated that no soft-skinned vans will be permitted within any of its locations nationally beginning on July 1 of that year.

John Awuah, the president of the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB), said in September 2022 that the organisation has purchased 60 armoured bullion trucks for cash operations.

But based on how things now stand, it doesn’t seem like the situation has really improved.