The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for National Culture and Environmental Studies (cenCES), Dr. James Kwabena Bonfeh, says the recent armed robbery at a gold shop in Mpohor in the Western Region exposes issues in Ghana’s security response systems.
According to Dr. James Kwabena Bonfeh, it is good that there is the availability of CCTV, but that alone is not enough without monitoring and rapid response.
This comes after circulating CCTV footage showed armed robbers storming a gold buying shop in the Mpohor District on Saturday, August 16, 2025, making away with an unspecified amount of money and injuring one person.
Speaking on JoyNews on Monday morning, Dr. Bonfeh shared his concerns about the speed of the security response.
“We are happy at least there was CCTV, and that is one of the things we need to appreciate about the capacity to utilize digital technology in improving on our conditions and way of living. But it is not enough to have CCTV there. Where was the monitoring team that was supervising the feedback?” he said.
He also added, “What rapid response went there from our security outfit? How are they connected with police, military and other security agencies in this regard? When they were there within a limited period of time, how were we able to rapidly respond to arrest them?”
He argued that these lapses highlight the need to strengthen Ghana’s emergency security systems to effectively deal with such criminal incidents.
Dr. Bonfeh further questioned the follow-up efforts by the security agencies, asking, “After the fact, with the aid of the CCTV, and whatever signal we were able to pick, what network have we been able to establish to ascertain the identities of these people?”
Ghana Police, in a statement released yesterday, have confirmed that one suspect has been arrested while the others remain on the run and that the injured victim is said to be responding to treatment.
It read, “One suspect has been picked and is assisting in the investigation, whilst strenuous efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects.”
They however assured the public that the perpetrators will be arrested to face justice.
