Seidu Issaka, 24, a Fulani headsman has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for murder and robbery. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. State Attorney, Mr. Salia Abdul-Quddus, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr. Justice Simon Suurubareh that on 8th September 2006, policemen at a police checkpoint at Kukobila along the Tamale/Bolgatanga highway, heard some gunshots from the direction of Disigu village. They suspected there was armed robbery and so called for reinforcement from the Walewale police station and moved in the direction of the gunshots. The State Attorney said five meters away from the scene the road was blocked with a big stone, preventing two articulator trucks from moving. The police used force to cross the roadblock to the scene of the robbery. He said the police saw three men, one armed with an AK47, another with a stick whipping passengers on board other vehicles while the other armed robber was searching the passengers. A 16-year-old boy, Nafissa Mustapha, who refused to comply with the armed robbers' orders was shot and killed. Prosecution said when the robbers saw the police the one with the AK47 fired at the police, breaking the windscreen of the police vehicle. The police returned fire and killed the robber handling the AK47 and the rest bolted way. The police appealed to the surrounding villages to look out for any suspicious characters they might find in their vicinity and three hours later, the villagers saw the convict bare-footed on a bicycle and his body was soaked with water although it was not raining. The prosecutor said the villagers arrested him and a search on his bag revealed two mobile phones, three phone chargers, a dagger, some gari, a rubber mat similar to one found at the scene of the crime and ¢1,430,000. He said the villagers handed the convict over to the Pigu chief. The convict also pleaded with the chief to collect whatever was found on him and set him free but the chief declined and handed him over to the police. He was taken to Tamale where a search at his residence revealed 24 bicycles and one mobile phone but he could not produce any receipt covering any of the items. Source: GNA