More than 12 persons have been killed in Akatsi South municipality in the Volta Region between the last quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of this year.
Statistics suggest that the deaths are due to robbery, vehicular accidents, police brutality and domestic violence. On Tuesday 21 June, a 30-year-old man, Nelson Mandela Zanu, met his untimely death around 8pm.
He was shot twice and killed by unknown gunmen in his neighbourhood while he was on his way home after work.
Zanu, an Okada rider (commercial motorbike operator), owned a mobile money business near Akatsi College of Education.
According to his friends, Zanu left the Okada station to drop off his employee (mobile money operator) at home at about 7:30pm. News of his demise came an hour after the two had left the station. Zanu’s employee alleged that he (Zanu) left the station with seven smart phones and more than GHC18,000 cash in his bag.
The unknown perpetrators took away Zanu’s money, phones and motorbike with registration number VR-436-13 after shooting and killing him. The police have recovered a pistol from the scene believed to have been used to commit the crime.
Friends of the deceased describe him as a calm and visionary young man. He was survived by two children – a seven-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy –, and a 34-year-old widow, Georgina Adifu.
The deceased’s father, Steven Senugbe, said his family has been depressed and short of words since the incident occurred. He has appealed to the police to speed up investigations and serve justice.
Senugbe bemoaned the immoral lifestyle of some youth in Akatsi, saying “…crime is increasing in Akatsi and this one is too painful. I plead for a military camp in this area. Maybe with that, the town will be safe.
“It’s risky going out to town…you see young people with weird hairstyles, smoking marijuana day and night without any fear. If you are not careful, they’ll easily attack you.”
On a visit to the deceased’s house, women from the neighbourhood had gone to commiserate with the widow. She pleaded that her late husband’s assailants be arrested and punished.
The deceased’s two-year-old son busy playing with toys and riding a bicycle, knowing nothing about the whereabout of his father.
Press conference by traditional rulers
Three days after the murder, the Avenor traditional council held a press conference on the case, condemning the crime with a GHC20,000 ransom on the head of the perpetrators. The traditional council and Avenor Senior Peers Chambers raised the GHC20,000 ransom.
Torgbui Dorglo Anuma VI, the president of the council, said, “The Avenor traditional council expresses its deep condolences to the spouse, children and the entire family of Mandela Zanu.”
The traditional rulers called for calm amidst investigation, saying, “The Avenor traditional council calls for calm in these difficult times of recurrent incidents of loss of civilian lives and the consequent police-civilian tension.”
Torgbui Anuma IV called off a planned protest by the Akatsi South youth parliament in honour of the deceased.
He said, “The planned demonstration by the Akatsi South youth parliament should be called off with immediate effect. It is feared that fall outs from the intended demonstration may have the unintended consequence of diverting focus from ongoing investigation on the murder of Mandela Zanu, which we are aware has commenced.”
Daniel Amuzu Kale, speaker of the youth parliament, in a separate press briefing said “As a respectful and listening youth leadership, we have accepted the call by the Akatsi South police command and the traditional council to call off the demonstration.”
The youth, however, gave a two-week ultimatum to authorities to arrest the perpetrators.
For the bereaved family and many residents of Akatsi, Zanu’s case should be the last in the area.
Reporting by Albert Kuzor in the Volta Region
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