A violent robbery attempt turned deadly in Maame-Amakrom, Ashanti Region, when local residents fatally shot two armed suspects during a Tuesday dawn attack.
The assailants, part of a seven-member gang, had killed a cocoa purchasing clerk named Obeng before villagers mobilized in self-defense.
Assemblyman Isaac Afrane described the community’s desperate response to Asaase News, noting the area’s isolation compounded the crisis. “With no mobile network and poor roads, we had no choice but to pursue them ourselves,” he said. The villagers tracked the robbers through cocoa farms, killing two whose bodies were taken to Fomena Government Hospital.
The attack has left the remote farming community on edge, with Afrane highlighting systemic vulnerabilities: inadequate lighting, impassable roads, and absent security infrastructure. He plans to urgently petition the District Chief Executive for police reinforcement.
While five suspects remain at large, the incident underscores growing security concerns in Ghana’s rural areas. Maame-Amakrom’s scattered homesteads and limited state presence make it particularly susceptible to criminal activity, especially during off-seasons when decreased economic activity leaves communities more exposed.
