Nigerian truck impounded with smuggled goods

Some of the items impounded

Custom officers at the Aflao Sector command have impounded a Nigerian registered truck transporting  smuggled goods towards Accra.

The officers who were  on  their routine patrol Tuesday evening, intercepted the articulated truck with Lagos registration number MUS-139-XQ between Akatsi and Dabala junction on the Aflao-Accra highway.

Mr. Confidence Nyadzi, Aflao sector commander of  Customs revealed that, though the bucket of the truck was empty, a critical examination revealed that, metallic compartments were created beneath the vehicle in which the smuggled goods were hidden.

The impounded truck 

Items found on the vehicle, according to him are mostly bales fabrics  and assorted drinks. These include 320yards of poly cotton materials, 335 pieces wax prints, 78 cartons of Hollandia yogurt, 100 crates of Maltina drink and five crates of assorted soft drinks. Seven cartons of cooking oil and 15 pieces of mosquito net were also part of the consignment.

Mr. Nyadzi also noted that, the driver, Razak Osman  and his conductor, Salam Nuhu have been detained with truck and are assisting with investigations. 

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

'Stray’ ship washed ashore at Aflao

Photos from Facebook 

A strong tidal storm which hit the coast of Aflao in the Ketu South municipality has washed ashore a ‘stray’ ship, on Tuesday.

The ship with the inscription  'Barca Lome', is believed to have been abandoned on the high seas with no crew on board.

Some residents who trooped to the scene to catch a glimpse of the ship, expressed varied opinions about how the ship made its way to he area, with some putting a political twist to it.

“This ship here, is probably telling our government that, we need a mini habour in Aflao,” one resident retorted.

Meanwhile, a combine Togolese and Ghanaian naval team have successfully towed the ship  back onto the high seas.

A security source at the Aflao border who disclosed this, said the ship which was anchored on the sea between the Togolese capital Lomé and Aflao, had its anchors broken by strong tidal winds, which drifted it onto the shores of Aflao.

'A Combine team of Ghanaian and Togolese naval officers however manage to tow the stray ship back using another vessel later in the day,' the source stated.

Police Constable shot dead in Aflao

Constable Kove

A Police operation to arrest suspected criminals at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality has led to the killing of one the police men, Friday dawn.

Constable Wonder Kove, of the Form Police Unit (FPU) was reportedly shot by an unknown assailant, when he led his colleagues on a raid at Zorokpome, a suspected criminal den around the Aflao border.

Kove, believed to be in his late 20s was part of a police team deployed from the Police Headquarters in Accra to the area to clampdown on the increasing criminal activities there.

It is, however, unclear where the bullet came from as a police source claimed there was no exchange of fire during the operation.

Wonder’s junior brother, Promise Kove, told Volta Online, his senior brother’s sudden death is unbearable to him and his family, stating that, ‘he is the one taking care of us all… as I speak with you, and I’m even in his room in Accra.’

‘I have been staying with him, ever since he joined the Police Service about two years ago… he only left for the Aflao operation on Sunday and just this morning, one of his colleagues called to tell me that he is dead’ distraught Promise narrated.

Court remands rival chief in Aflao Chieftaincy dispute

Torgbui Amenya Fiti (L) Torgbui Aflao Detu

The Ho High court on Friday remanded into Police custody, a claimant to the Aflao paramount stool, Togbui Afla Awuno Detu IX.

Torgbui Afla Detu, known in private life as Raphael Kodzovi Fiho was arraigned before the court after he was arrested by the Aflao Police on  Thursday for defying Police orders not to enter the town after security intelligence revealed his actions could spark violence.

Five other persons were also arrested by the police for attempting to enter the residence of the rival chief, after they had information that he (Torgbui Afla Detu) was in town to be outdoored as the new chief of the area.

Torgbui Afla Detu who was charged on two counts of offensive conduct, organizing public event without recourse to the public order act, however pleaded not guilty to both charges.

State Prosecutor, Moses Asampoa told the court the action of the rival chief, has raised tension in the area, with the potential to inflame chaos.  

He subsequently prayed the court to remand the accused in order to douse the tension in the area. But the defence counsel, Savior M.K Dzikunu rebutted the claims of the prosecutor and also prayed the grant bail to his client since the charges against him were bailable offences.  

Presiding judge Patrick Baaye in his wisdom remanded the rival chief into police custody to reappear on Tuesday, September 30. The decision, according to the Judge is for the safety of both the accused and the people of Aflao.

MPs assess Ebola Preparedness at Aflao border

Regional minister (in cap) with Fritz Baffour (m) and other Cittee members

Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior have paid a day’s working visit to the Aflao border in the Ketu-south Municipality of the Volta region to assess the security situation and the necessary preparations put in place to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from entering the country.

The border is the major transit point to Ghana’s eastern neighbours of Togo, Benin and Nigeria, which has reported cases of the disease that has plagued three other West African countries including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Briefing the Committee members on the preparations to combat the deadly virus, the Volta Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Joseph Teye Nuertey said since news on the outbreak of the disease broke in April, the Health authorities  and other stakeholders has embark on consistent public education programmes on the disease as well as training of frontline health officials.

He disclosed that 20 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) which the region received, were distributed among the Port Health Department at the border and two hospitals out of six health facilities designated to deal with the disease. The two are the Aflao Government hospital and the Regional hospital in Ho, excluding the Jasikan, Hohoe, Sogakofe, Nkwanta hospitals because of the inadequacy of the PPEs.

Aflao robbers Grabbed

The Aflao Police with assistance from the Military and National security last Wednesday evening arrested seven persons suspected to be part of an armed robbery gang who have hijacked the country’s eastern border and terrorising innocent individuals including immigration officials.

Their arrest comes barely 24 hours after the Volta regional Minister, Helen Adwoa Ntoso, visited the area and charged the security personnel to take drastic measures to clamp down on the increasing criminal activities along the border.

The suspects which include two hardened criminals on the radar of the police are Freeman Obed, 28 years old; Anani Atoku, 26; Samuel Amedzoneku, 26; Eric Henyo, 25; Kudanu Kroshie, 36; Sewornu Emmanuel, 25 and Koffie Henyo, 28.

Briefing the Minister and her Deputy, Francis Ganyaglo, the Regional Police Commander, ACP Peterkin Yentumi Gyinae, said the suspects were brought to the Regional Police Headquarters brought by the Regional Security Coordinator, Esseney Yentumi and William Akator of the National Security, accompanied by some military and police officers from Aflao in the Ketu South district.