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Two men believed to be members of a ruthless robbery gang have been shot dead by the police during a gun battle at Asafo in Kumasi.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwaku Osei Ampofo-Duku, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Commander, told a media briefing that the incident happened in the early hours of yesterday.

He gave the names of the deceased as Emmanuel Nyamekye, alias 50 Cent, and Kwadwo Asare, alias Lumba.

Two other suspected members of the gang – Yaw Gyimah, alias Scorpion, and Isaac Ofosuhene – have been detained by the police.

ACP Ampofo-Duku said the gang was preparing to raid the Rees Hotel, near the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, when they acted to foil the robbery attack.

The four, armed with guns, had on August 3 attacked and robbed one Nashiru Gulet of his cash of GHȼ35,000 in Asokore-Mampong.

They shot and wounded him in the palm before escaping with the money.

The Deputy Regional Commander said based upon intelligence, Gyimah was later apprehended and he led the police to arrest Ofosuhene.

The police gathered from the pair that the gang was at the final stage of preparations to rob the Rees Hotel.

He said they acted quickly by using the two to trap their criminal colleagues at Asafo Cement, and there the officers attempted to seize them.

ACOP Ampofo-Duku told journalists that they shot at the police but narrowly missed their targets and the officers returned fire.

Nyamekye and Asare took direct hits and died from their gunshot wounds, he added.

The Deputy Regional Commander stated that Gyimah and Ofosuhene would be arraigned as soon as they were done with their investigation.

In a related development, the Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested over 70 suspected robbers in a swoop while two others were gunned down in a shootout.

At least 34 of the suspects were detained following a raid by the police at their hideouts in and around the region.