Private security personnel manning a Star Oil Filling Station at Tojer, near Kasseh in the Ada East District, yesterday, at dawn engaged six armed robbers in a fierce gun battle.

The security men were the first to open fire at the robbers who sneaked into the premises of the filling station, via an unauthorised route, at about 2am.

Though the robbers returned fire, the fire from the security men of the filling station caught one of the robbers, who was whisked away by his team. According to some of the security personnel who spoke to The Chronicle, they spotted somebody attired in a police uniform wielding a gun among the robbers.

The security personnel said the Ada Divisional Police Command is about three kilometres away, however, the police arrived at the scene an hour later. This was the second time this year that armed robbers had raided the filling station.

The first was on March 7, 2018, when 20-year-old William Gbedze entered the filling station and bolted with cash of GH¢20,000, and mobile phone credit cards worth GH¢1,000.

But Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from the filling station aided the Sogakofe Police to grab the suspect, who later committed suicide in police cells, before he could be arraigned at court.

When contacted on the December 10, 2018, robbery, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) George Kumah, Ada Police Divisional Commander, confirmed the robbery and added that it was the second robbery at fuel stations within a fortnight.

ACP George Kumah did not mince words saying that under-staffing, in addition to severe lack of logistics, had inhibited the Command from providing the needed security in the areas under it.

The Ada Divisional Police Command covers the two Ada Districts -East and West- and part of Dawa, yet, it has no police patrol vehicle.

The only available vehicle is a Nissan pickup meant for administrative work by the Divisional Commander.

ACP Kumah lamented that his outfit, despite an approval that it was to receive one of the 200 new Toyota Corrola patrol cars, had no means of transport.

He, however, said his Command would rely on the CCTV footage at the Star Oil Filling Station to hunt for the robbers.

He appealed to the general public, especially clinics and hospitals in and around Ada, to be on the lookout for men who may report with gunshot wounds for treatment, to alert the police.