A Ho Circuit Court has sentenced three individuals to a combined 125 years in prison for their involvement in a violent armed robbery targeting Mr. Makafui Atsu Kumordzi, the Director of Makafui and Son’s Limited, a lotto business located at Ayitikope in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region.
The convicted persons are Nzete Chukunhru Best, 28, a Nigerian second-hand clothing trader based in Accra; Mark Billy Agbozo, 31, also known as “Teacher,” a driver from Ehi near Agbozume; and Ernest Sokpi Amevor, 32, popularly called “Peace Maker,” also a driver from the same area. They faced charges including abetment of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.
The Crime
According to the prosecution, led by Mr. Andrews Dodzi Adugu, a senior state attorney at the Attorney General’s Office, the robbery occurred on May 29, 2021, at around 11:30 p.m. The robbers, using a Daewoo taxi-cab with registration number GE 3739-12, scaled the fence wall of Mr. Kumordzi’s residence and forcefully entered his home. Armed with guns, machetes, and metal bars, they shot Mr. Kumordzi in the left thigh three times and stole cash amounting to approximately GH₵825,000.
The stolen money included GH₵160,000 in Ghanaian cedis, CFA Franc valued at GH₵640,000, and an additional GH₵25,000 belonging to Mr. Kumordzi’s wife, Peace Lordeena Sedofia.
Arrests and Confessions
Nzete Chukunhru was apprehended in Accra during a police operation on November 26, 2021. During interrogation, he confessed to participating in the robbery and implicated Agbozo and Amevor. He revealed that Agbozo acted as the getaway driver, while Amevor actively participated in the attack. Agbozo initially denied his involvement but later admitted to driving the gang to the crime scene and taking part in the robbery.
A History of Violent Attacks
Makafui and Son’s Limited has been a recurring target of violent robberies. In a previous attack, one of the company’s drivers, Dotsey Dogbatey, was fatally shot in 2022 while returning from a lotto paper collection round.
Sentencing
The court handed the convicts a combined 125 years behind bars, serving as a stern warning against violent crimes in the region. The ruling also underscores the government’s commitment to combating organized crime and protecting businesses and individuals.
