Use military to fight armed robbers – Bishops’ Conference proposes

The Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has called for the full deployment of military personnel and equipment to wipe out the menace of armed robbery, which is threatening the country’s internal security.

It fears failure to deal with the menace head-on could make Ghana a dangerous place to live in as well as drive investors away.

A communiqué issued by the conference Tuesday argued there is no region in the country that is currently safe from armed robbers who rape, harass and murder some of their victims.

The group said wondered how Ghana could deal with terrorism and external threats if it cannot deal with armed robbery which has become an internal security concern over the last years, and consequently underscored the need for the Ghana Armed Forces to intervene.

According to the Conference, the military personnel and the institution at large exist to protect and defend the citizenry from agression, invassion and attacks from enemies, hence their involvement in the fight of armed robbery will not be out of place.

“Release your helicopters, army vehicles, superior military equipment and the highly trained officers of the Ghana Armed Forces to be involved with wiping out armed robbery,” it stated in the communiqué.

The Conference want the country’s security agencies to use the intelligence community and the secret service to hunt for criminals, and also put out wanted lists with pictures to enable the public provide information that would lead to their arrest

Again, the group has proposed a reward system for those who would provide information on or turn in armed robbers.

“Provide telephone lines for people to report armed robbers. Go to well-known havens of armed robbery and snuff out the further breeding of armed robbers. Wipe out armed robbery from the highways. After 60 years of managing our own affairs, it should not be that buses need escorts to travel on certain roads during the day or at night,” it said.

By editors.3news.com|Ghana