Ghana: Rising criminal trend targeting people at entrance to their homes

Event

On Tuesday, July 11, Ghanian police issued a warning concerning an increasing trend of criminals ambushing people as they leave or return to their residences. The criminals often steal vehicles and valuables, with the robberies generally occurring after the end of the business day, when victims are presumably tired and distracted.

Context

According to the US Embassy, the capital Accra is considered a high-risk location. The embassy prohibits personnel from traveling between towns after dark outside of Accra and recommends citizens take similar precautions.

Violence between rival ethnic groups is also common, particularly in the north. Previous violent protests erupted in the Ashanti Region in April 2016 following ongoing disputes between farmers and cattle herders in which local populations demanded the expulsion of nomadic herders. More recent violent clashes occurred in Chereponi (northeast Ghana) in December 2016 between supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) preceding the December 7 presidential elections.

Advice

Individuals should remain vigilant at all times due to high crime rates, particularly in Accra and other major cities (maintain a low profile, be particularly vigilant at night, be aware that criminals may be armed, etc.). Remain alert to unknown persons loitering around neighborhoods and take measures to improve security surrounding residences.

On a separate note, individuals present in the country are advised to be particularly prudent in the northeastern regions where there are periodic outbreaks of violence and occasional curfews.