Head Pastor of Gumani Good News Bible Church popularly known as ‘Azindo Church’ Reverend Eric Kwaku Prah gray Toyota Prado Platinum Landcruiser has been taken away from him by unidentified gunmen.
The vehicle with Registration Number GT 4956 – 20 was driven away by the 3 masked armed robbers after they sneaked into his private residence at Kanvili-Tunnaayili in the Sagnarigu Municipality in the Northern Region.
The armed gunmen held the pastor and his family hostage at gunpoint demanding other valuables including money at about 9:30pm Thursday May 6.
Narrating the incident to Zaa News, a church member Mr Ziblim David said the gunmen tired the pastor and his children with wire and made away with GH¢3,000, the car and other valuable properties and bolted off, leaving the family in shock.
The robbers according to Mr David went with AK47 rifle and a pistol. Two of the robbers he explained rode a motor bike while the one 1 drove away the car. The matter has since been reported to the police.
Trend of car snatching in Tamale
car snatching phenomenon in the northern region started somewhere in 2015 when 3 persons were arrested for snatching a Punto ELX taxi with registration number NR 273-14 at a knife point.
In 2019, NR 9902-19 Northern Regional Director of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), Mr Yahaya Abdul Rahman Toyota Hilux pick-up with registration number NR 9902-19 was snatched from him at gunpoint coincidently at Kanvili-Tuunayili.
On June 19, 2020, at about 8 pm, the syndicates attempted to snatch a pharmacist Toyota Hilux pick-up at about 8pm at Fuo, suburb of Sagnarigu municipality. The region recorded 4 car snatching cases in August 2020 alone. A prado Landcruiser was snatched at Nanton road but luck eluded the robbers and they abandoned.
The Savannah Regional Minister brand new Pick-up mysteriously went missing and till date, the circumstances is yet to be unravel by the police.
Retrieval
A joint police operation led to the retrieval of NABCO Regional Director, Mr Yahaya Abdul Rahman Toyota pick-up on 29th, August, 2019 in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The police at the time described both incidents as new and strange phenomenon in Tamale and embarked on man-hunt for the syndicates.
The
Savannah Regional Minister brand new pick- up was also mysteriously
snatched and is yet to be retrieved.
The police were able to retrieve NABCO boss with joint efforts of their
counterparts in the upper east region.
.
Modus operandi
According to the police, the modus operandi is that two persons on motorbike will trail the unsuspecting driver to his house.
So, when the driver gets down to open the house gate the vehicle is snatched from the victim at gunpoint.
