Some residents of Nungua Addogono and Baatsona in the Greater Accra Region, have raised concerns over a growing wave of robberies and phone snatching incidents in the area. 

Many community members say they feel unsafe, especially during evening hours, and therefore called on the Ghana Police Service to intensify patrols in the area to restore security.

They said the thieves, often operating in pairs on motorbikes, target commuters by grabbing the phones, handbags, and other personal items of their victims before speeding off.

Isaac Young, a businessman and resident of Addogono, recounted how he was chased and searched by the miscreants in the area on his way back from town at about 10:00 hours last week and his belongings taken from him.

“They gave my yam phone back to me and told me to upgrade the phone I use,” he added.

He mentioned that the thieves were six in number on three motorcycles and were attacking anybody they met on the way, however, some people managed to escape. 

Mawutor Gaar, a resident, said he witnessed a phone snatched at the Adoggono last stop about three months ago, and that had instilled fear in him, making it difficult for him to go out with his phone, especially in the evening. 

“I was coming home from work when two men on a motorbike came from behind and snatched a lady’s phone from her hand; it happened so fast, people around tried to help, but the thieves escaped,” he further said.

The residents are calling for increased police visibility in the area, saying that patrols, especially at night and in high-risk zones, could deter criminals and improve safety.

John Issah Andullah Tassa, Assemblyman for Nungua Addogon, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that he would liaise with the police to intensify efforts to address the alarming rise in robbery cases in the community.

He noted that there had been a series of reports of both day and night robberies and attacks and revealed plans to hold discussions with the district police command to deploy additional patrol teams in high-risk areas and urged residents to cooperate by promptly reporting suspicious activities.

He admitted that most of the streetlights were malfunctioning and explained that the electoral areas had not received enough streetlights from the assembly, expressing the hope that things would improve soon.