42-Year-Old Armed Robber Sentenced to 15 Years for Taxi Driver Attack

Yaw Mensah, also known as “Red,” has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Accra Circuit Court for robbing a taxi driver at gunpoint. Presiding Judge Susana Eduful delivered the sentence after a full trial, where Mensah was found guilty despite his claims of innocence.

Chief Inspector Teye Okuffo, leading the prosecution, explained that on September 6, 2023, at about 3:40 a.m., Mensah hired a taxi driver to take him from Kwame Nkrumah Interchange to Sabon-Zongo Market. Once at Ayigbe Town, Mensah brandished a pistol, threatening to shoot the driver. Fearful, the driver stopped, after which Mensah forced him from the car and drove off to Agbogbloshie Market.

There, Mensah and an unidentified accomplice attempted to sell the stolen vehicle. However, police intelligence led officers to Agbogbloshie on September 8, 2023, where Mensah was apprehended, though his accomplice remains at large. Mensah later admitted in a police statement to hiring the driver with the intent to rob him.

Further investigations revealed Mensah’s involvement in other robberies across the Greater Accra Region. The case has since been referred to the Regional CID for additional investigation into these related crimes.