CRIME RATE WORSENS IN PARTS OF WESTERN REGION (MIRROR, PAGE 29)

From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Axim

Murder, robbery and illegal drug (wee) trafficking continue to rock the peace in certain parts of the Western Region.
The victims are usually either beheaded or inflicted with deep machete wounds, a development that is making it difficult for residents in these areas to move about when darkness falls.
While the police at various checkpoints have intercepted substances suspected to be Indian hemp concealed in compartments of vehicles, there have been more than five murder cases in less than two months.
At Enchi, a man was beheaded; in the Jomoro area, a man slaughtered his sister after accusing her of witchcraft; at Sefwi Asawinso, a man was killed and his body dumped in a thicket, while in the vicinities of Mpohor, a man who was responding to the call of nature was mistaken for a game and shot dead by a hunter.
The latest was a taxi driver who was killed and dumped at Axim with several machete wounds. His taxicab and perpetrators have not yet been found.
The deceased, Kwame Narteh, believed to be about 35, was found dead in a bush near Axim with fresh machete wounds.
The police are yet to uncover the mystery surrounding his death but told The Mirror that the victim was found dead in a bush along the coasts of Axim.
The police said the incident was reported by a group of people led by the assembly member for the area.
The police said Narteh’s body had several deep machete wounds especially on the head.
The source continued that, just when they were about to convey the body to the morgue after the examination, a mobile phone in the pocket of the deceased rang.
“When we picked the call, we heard a voice of a woman who claimed she was the wife of the deceased and that Narteh left for work the night of June 29, 2009 and did not return,” the police said.
According to the wife, she lived together with the deceased at Assakai in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis and that he was the driver of a yellow and ash taxicab, with registration number GE 8446 V.
The police are currently looking for the whereabouts of the taxi and assailants. When contacted, the Axim District Police Commander, ASP Ohene Gyan, confirmed the story and called for public support to apprehend the suspects.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital for autopsy.
In the face of these murder and robbery cases however, the police have given the assurance that they are in control of the situation and doing everything possible to ensure that peace prevails.