The Asante Development Union is warning of possible anarchy if the police renege on their duty to protect citizens within the Kumasi Metropolis. At press conference on Monday, Coordinator of the Union, Edmond Oppong-Peprah maintained the citizens would be compelled to arm and defend themselves if the police fail to bring perpetrators of crime to book. “If the police fail in their duty to protect the citizenry, the citizens will be forced to protect themselves; this will obviously lead to anarchy and chaos. It is therefore imperative that the police demonstrate commitment to the protection of life and property in the Metropolis.” Violent attacks have left six people killed in less than a week in the region, and residents of the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, say they are now living in fear. Mr Oppong-Peprah has therefore condemned what it terms the "boldness" manner criminal activities are being carried out within the Kumasi Metropolis. He described the recent spate of “armed criminal” activities in the area as "worrying". Oppong-Peprah is therefore calling on authorities to nip in the bud these acts of violence that he said “threatens life, peace and security”. “The Metropolis needs peace in order to develop,” he added, “Acts of violence that leads to the loss of innocent lives, reprisal and counter reprisals must be stopped immediately.” In an interview with Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Oppong-Peprah challenged the police to boost public confidence in them and assure citizens they would be protected at all times to enable them go about their duties without fear. He blamed the police for not doing enough to curb incidents of crime in the area. “The Police must be proactive to prevent crime, when it does happen, they must be swift and decisive,” he remarked. Nevertheless, he asked citizens to volunteer information to the police. Two suspected armed robbers were today lynched by irate youth at a suburb of Kumasi, and residents are vowing to kill anyone they suspect of engaging in crime. Meanwhile, criminologist Professor Ken Attafua said there is cause for worry if citizens decide to constitute themselves into vigilante group. He also thinks it is unjustifiable to assume that the security agencies have failed in their duty to protect the citizens. According to him, their number is “significantly inadequate” and therefore called on all to support the security agencies in maintaining peace and order. Police in the Ashanti Region today blamed the gang-style killings in Kumasi on the local manufacturing and distribution of unregistered weapons. But that prognosis has attracted sharp criticism from the Director of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Centre, Dr. Kwesi Anning. He said admitting that the problem of unregistered gun manufacturing could be a cause is an indictment on the police, describing the assertion as “disappointing and disgraceful”.