Security analyst, Prof. Emmanuel Kwesi Aning has attributed the rising robbery cases in Ghana to the abuse of illicit drugs.
He furthered that watching violent movies is also a contributing factor to this growing menace.
Prof. Aning stated that what was exhibited at Jamestown on Monday, June 14 is a reflection of what these criminals watch in crime related movies.
“These two saprotrophic drugs, illicit drugs, create a sense of boldness, of daringness, and of a “here I come” attitude and mentality…We know that in Liberia, in Sierra Leone, in Guinea and La Côte d’Ivoire during the civil wars, warlords deliberately manipulated the psyche of young people by giving them drugs and allowing them to watch violent films that create an imagery in their minds that they could perform those miracles,” he said on Joy Super Morning Show.
“The same level of daringness and boldness, evident in movies are what they exhibit in daylight armed robbery attacks in the country…The essence of using guns. Even if we take out the argument about the thrill, the power that it gives. The essence of the indiscriminate behaviour and shootings that we see relates to that power and ability to show fear in the society,” Prof Aning explained.
He called on security agencies to employ people with in-depth understanding of the job to help fight this problem.
A hawker and police escort, Constable Emmanuel Osei were shot dead by robbers at Jamestown in Accra. The robbers bolted with his gun and an undisclosed amount of cash.
The bullion van driver sustained degrees of injuries and was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital where he received medical attention.
Meanwhile, the police has placed a GH¢20,000 bounty for information that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
