Three armed robbers have been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labor each by the Obuasi Circuit Court for attacking and robbing travelers on the Jacobu-Anwiankwanta road, including extorting GH¢30,000 via mobile money from a Chinese victim.
Peter Boadi (alias Kwao Ziggy), Daniel Kwaku Owusu, and Eric Kwaku Danso were convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery following their April 29, 2024, attack at Fiankoma near Jacobu.
The trio, armed with locally manufactured pistols, accosted a group of victims, seizing two iPhones and GH¢7,000 in cash before forcing the Chinese national to transfer GH¢30,000 to an account linked to an accomplice.
Presiding Judge Samuel Fenuah emphasized the severity of the crime, noting the use of firearms and targeting of a foreigner heightened public fear along the Ashanti Region corridor. “These acts terrorize citizens and deter investment; the sentence must reflect deterrence,” he stated during the October 28 ruling.
Police prosecutor Inspector Emmanuel Amoako detailed how the robbers blocked the road with logs, fired warning shots, and threatened victims before fleeing.
The breakthrough came in June 2024 when Boadi was arrested in Kumasi with one recovered iPhone, leading to the others’ apprehension. The mobile money trail, traced via MTN records, sealed the case.
The convicts, all in their 20s and from Obuasi, pleaded not guilty but were found guilty after a four-month trial with 12 witnesses. Defense counsel pleaded for leniency citing first-time offender status, but the court rejected it, ordering the 20-year terms to run concurrently.
