The high crime rate in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region has led to many residents concerned about their safety and livelihoods.

A Fulani Group, Tabital Pulaaku International on Sunday assembled to discuss the increase in robbery attacks on the Tamale-Bolga highway associated with some of its members.

This comes after some tomato traders and truck drivers from Kumasi were ambushed by robbers on the highway.

Two drivers have been killed, while more than ten sustained several degrees of injuries in six different attacks in January alone on the same route

National Secretary of the welfare group, Alhaji Musah who spoke to Joynews correspondent Eliasu Tanko said the leadership is very concerned about the few bad nuts committing these crimes.

According to him, these crimes that have been associated with Fulani’s has led the group to form a watchdog committee to bring the culprits to book.

“We have representatives in all the 16 regions. Our representatives will meet the Chiefs from their areas so they form a watchdog committee which will be introduced to the security so that they can help.

“These Fulani's that are operating on the road as robbers, they use the bush so we want to use the same people as watchdogs so that they can capture the culprits. They know the bush better than the police so we use them so we solve the problem.

“We think that is the way forward,” he added.

His comments come after a report by Eliasu Tanko indicating that almost 90 per cent suspected robbers who have been arrested on the highway happen to be Fulani.

Also, the North East Regional Secretary of the group, Mohammed Adam appealed to the security forces and the media to always make a conscious effort to establish the real offenders on the incidence of crime without hasty conclusions that it might be Fulani's.

He said the support of the group to pin down the perpetrators of such crimes.

"We also use this platform to inform the Regional Police Command, Traditional authorities and powerful forces in the fight against crime in the region that we are solidly behind justice and we will assist their efforts in this regard so as to establish a crime-free society."

Meanwhile, members of the tomato transporters and traders association have refused to resume operations on the highway due to the attacks.

The Ghana Transporters and Tomato Traders Association have begun an industrial strike over the loss of lives of members on the Tamale-Bolga highway.

This has resulted in the shortage of tomatoes on the market.