Cargo of Death

The police in Ghana intercept a truck load of arms bound for Nigeria

By McKnight Elabor, Accra

Authorities in Ghana were on Wednesday January 11,2012 thrown into shock after the Ghana Police intercepted a truck load of arms, which was heading to Nigeria at a time the country is in crisis.
A cross section of opinion leaders and top politicians who spoke on the issues Television commended the Ghana Police for saving the country from embarrassment from the Nigerian government, and expressed worry over what would have happened if the discovery was not made. Many Ghanaians were apprehensive that the presence of the cache of arms in Ghana could become dangerous if it found its way into the hands of the wrong persons especially as the nation’s general election is just months away.
The weapons were discovered after the police, acting on a tip-off rounded up a MAN diesel truck at Achimota in Accra, branded with Coca-Cola logo and with Nigeria (Abuja) registration number XA 761 YAB.
Briefing the media on the arrest, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Atinga-Bio, said at about 3p.m on Wednesday, they received a tip-off that a Coca-Cola branded vehicle was discharging items suspected to be stolen goods.
According to her, they dispatched a team of policemen to the place and found the vehicle parked near an uncompleted building. On examination of the vehicle, they found it empty. Not satisfied, the police subjected the truck to a thorough search and discovered that there was a metal plate covering the floor of the vehicle. On removing the metal plate they found a large quantum of cartridges, pump action and double barrel guns concealed below.
The discovery led to the arrest of three Ghanaians; Kofi Aboagye, 52, Kwesi Asamoah, 29, and Kojo Boafo, 38, the alleged owner of the arms and Samuel Amosu Taiwo, 35, and Sunday Eze, 35, both from Ogun and Anambra states in Nigeria respectively.
When asked if Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana Musuliu Obanikoro has been informed of the incident, Atinga-Bio said it was too early to do so, as they were going to carry out more investigation into the case first. But her position notwithstanding, Ambassador still got the information and responded swiftly by visiting the station.
Speaking to newsmen at the station, Obanikoro said: “If not for the vigilance of the police, these arms would have found their way to Nigeria. Only God knows how many such trucks have gone before now” He also added that proper investigation of the case should be done as this would help the Nigerian government get to the root of who is behind the crime.
Commenting on the issue, Ade Coker, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDC) said: “We do not welcome any mayhem in Nigeria at all because any serious problem in Nigeria would greatly affect the sub region, and we cannot contain the volume of displaced people that will come into Ghana from Nigeria if things get worse in Nigeria.”
Last Thursday, a circuit court in Aflao, border town between Ghana and Togo in the Volta Region, ordered the deportation of five visually impaired Nigerian beggars along with seven boys who are believed to be caregivers to the beggars, back to Nigeria after they were intercepted by the Ghana Immigration Service on their way to Accra in search of greener pastures.
To heighten the woes of the beggars - who all came from Kano state and who also blamed economic hardship in Nigeria for their migration, the court imposed on each of them a fine of Ghc 12, about N1,500 before showing them the way back to Nigeria.
Faced with a possible spill over of the crisis, the Ghanaian authorities appear to be praying fervently for the return of peace to Nigeria since Ghana would find it difficult to absorb large numbers of Nigerians fleeing to Ghana if the crisis in Africa’s most populous nation gets worse.