The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested Alhaji Shani Mohammed, a ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairmanship aspirant in the North East region for illegal possession of firearms.
The North East NPP aspirant’s arrest follows the arrest of some three persons with weapons at Kukuabila near Nasia in the West Mamprusi municipality of the North East region.
The suspects, Amadu Alhassan, a native of Tamale, Atito Godstime, and Seidu Ado Bala both Nigerians were arrested with a loaded AK 47 riffle, a foreign-made pistol, and ammunition concealed in the vehicle that they were traveling with.
The Northern Regional Crime Officer, Supt. Bernard Baba Ananga, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to the media said one of the suspects mentioned the NPP chairmanship aspirant as the person they were transporting the weapons to in the North East region.
According to him, the NPP chairmanship aspirant is in the custody of the police and his statement has been taken and will be arraigned before court after investigations.
He indicated that the NPP aspirant admitted that he knew one of the suspects arrested with the AK 47 riffle.
Supt. Ananga disclosed that when police interrogated the three suspects they revealed that the NPP chairmanship aspirant asked them to bring the weapons to the North East region.
“The suspects are saying that is it Ahaji Shani who told them to bring the firearms to him so he has to answer further questions.”
The Northern Regional Crime Officer, however, denied claims that the case is linked to an assassination plot in the North East region.
“We are not investigating an assassination attempt against any person as far as the command is concern, nobody has made any complaint about any assassination we are investigating a case of possession of firearms.”
The suspects have been arraigned before the Tamale Circuit court and have been remanded into police custody to reappear on May 20, 2022.
They have been charged with illegal possession of firearms and preparation to commit crime.
CCF’s crime prevention advocacy
Aside from paying for the fines of petty offenders, Crime Check Foundation (CCF) has introduced programmes including the latest ‘Stay Away From Trouble’ as part of its crime prevention advocacy project.
Through these programmes CCF cautions the general public against acts that could land them in trouble in a bid to curb crime.
The Foundation screens one-on-one interviews with prison inmates bringing to bear acts that landed them in prison and the difficulties they face in custody.
It has also paid the fines of many petty offenders for their release and integrated them into society.
