A TIMELY police intervention prevented a number of properties from being destroyed by fire which was deliberately set by a group of young men in Koforidua last Thursday.
Two of the young men, Ahmadu Tijani and Issa Muhamed, alleged to be criminals, have been arrested in connection with the crime.
The young men, who had been living in kiosks nearby and terrorising users of the road often referred to as Pentua Walla, near the offices of the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times, set the fire in protest against the demolition of the kiosks at dawn that day.
The demolition formed part of an ongoing exercise to beautify the New Juaben Municipality.
The criminals first blocked the road with piles of wood from the debris of the demolition and water tanks after which they piled up lorry tyres in the centre of the road and set them on fire.
The development made it impossible for both motorists and pedestrians to use the road for almost an hour.
The situation compelled the New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Alex Asamoah, to call for police intervention.
A 30-man police force, led by Chief Inspectors Francis Numado and Adu Yaw cordoned off the road after which the policemen, assisted by some civilians, fetched water from a nearby well to put out the fire.
Some of the policemen at the same time pursued the alleged criminals and managed to arrest Ahmadu Tijani and Issah Muhammed, who were kept at the Koforidua Central Police Station.
The New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami, said he had to order the police to the area after receiving a distress call from the New Juaben MCE, Mr Alex Asamoah, on the situation.
He said the police were carrying out further investigations to arrest the other perpetrators after which they would be charged and prosecuted.
The police commander said the police would ensure that the place was not a no-go area for motorists and other road users, especially at night.
Meanwhile, calm has been restored and vehicles and pedestrians have started using the road.
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