Kwame Adjei, a 24-year-old welder, has been sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment with hard labor by the Jasikan Circuit Court for robbery. Adjei, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was convicted on his own plea on June 27. The court was presided over by Mar Michael Johnson Abbey.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Vincent Kpodo, detailed the events leading to Adjei’s conviction. The complainant, a part-time okada rider from Dain-Konta, Togo, was approached by Adjei on June 22. Adjei hired the complainant’s services to travel to Kadjebi, agreeing to pay a fare of 2,500 CFA.

As they crossed the Menuso border into Ghana and continued their journey in the rain, Adjei sprayed a peppery substance into the complainant’s face in a bushy area near Bogos Junction. Blinded and in pain, the complainant locked his motorbike engine using a remote control and fled to safety. Adjei then stole the motorbike and attempted to push it away.

The complainant raised an alarm in Menuso town, leading to the formation of a search party. The stolen motorbike was later found in a cocoa farm in the Bogos Kope area. Adjei was apprehended at the Kadjebi main lorry station and handed over to the police. A search revealed the key to the stolen motorbike in Adjei’s possession.

An identification parade confirmed Adjei as the assailant, and he admitted to the offense in his caution statement. Adjei’s conviction serves as a stern warning to others contemplating similar crimes, underscoring the severe penalties for robbery in Ghana.