Residents of Adjen Kotoku in the Ga West Municipal District live "in dire need of safety" as they lament of  increasing car snatching crimes. 

Fear and anxiety  rule the town and its environs, where more than 4 cars have been snatched in a spate of matter of week "with impunity,"ghanaguardian.com has gathered.

The residents of  Damax 1, Damax 2, Koans Estates, Satellite  are calling on the Government to beef up security as they have lost confidence in the Kotoku Divisional police.

They claim the police are "acutely aware" of the situation but have rather resorted to extorting money from victims, allowing the robbers to operate with impunity.

"We are not safe at all in this area and the police in this area sits unconcern," a distress resident informed ghanaguardian.com.

"Security in this suburb is a farce."We are in dire need of safety in this town"

"The Police are acutely aware of the robbery going but you go to them and what they ask is mobile money."

Upgraded robbery in broad daylight

The Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery had reported that available statistics reveals Ghana is safer today than the same period in previous years, but to the residence of Adjen Kotoku, the narratives are starkly opposite.

According to the them, the robbery operations started from burglary  in the past and they have now move snatching vehicles in broad daylight.

A woman complained of an incident where burglars ransacked her home at gun point, crammed all her belongings  into her own car and sped off, whiles residence look on helplessly.

"The situation has moved from bad to worse," she said.

"At first they will break you window and steal the TVs and the decoders and stuff, but now it is upgraded and they target cars in broad daylight.

"We are appealing to the government to, as matter of urgency, do something about the situation"

The Kotoku divisional Police Command is yet to confirm or deny the reports but residents suspect foul play,claiming the commander in charge of the division, whose name was given as Commander Kumah, has so far not shown any commitment to fight the menace.

"Mr Kumah, who is the head of the police here does not care.When you go to the Police, they will ask you to send them money to fuel their car to the scene of the incident."

"We are sitting on time bomb.It started on burglary, it has graduated to car snatching and no one knows what their next target will be, may be on children are next," a tearful resident added.

Adjen Kotoku is a town in the Ga West Municipal District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, of which Damax 1, Damax 2, Koans Estates, Satellite are surburbs.

By Fiifi Abdul Malik/ghanaguardian.com