Another "Contract Killing"?

MAN SHOT • Hollywood Style

The Nkoranza township in the Brong Ahafo Region has been thrown into a state of mourning following the gunning down of a 45-year old businessman, Adu Kwasi by unknown assailants, in another case of bizarre killings. The despicable act took place on Tuesday night at about 11.00pm in the house of the businessman, a few minutes after he returned from work. The atrocious act, coming in the wake of similar incidents in Tema and other parts of the country, was carried out in the presence of the deceased’s two wives.

The assassins were said to have bolted with an amount of ¢40 million being his sales for the day. Mr. Adu, who deals in cigarettes, went home after closing from his shop only to meet three persons who were waiting in his house. The three had told the Fulani herdsman of Mr. Adu, who was in the house, that they were waiting to buy some cigarettes from the deceased. When Mr. Adu entered the house, they asked whether he was the man called Adu, to which he responded in the affirmative. The businessman then asked of their mission. The armed men, who were almost attacked by Adu’s dogs, asked him to raise up his hands.

Sensing danger, he told them that if it was money they wanted, he was ready to give them all the money he had in the house so that they would spare his life. One of the men instantly pulled a pistol from his pocket and shot Adu twice in the groin. The three men then ran into a nearby bush whiles the victim lay down wriggling in pain. His wives rushed out from their rooms to find their husband lying in a pool of blood.

No arrests have been made even though the Nkoranza Police said they are intensifying their efforts to apprehend the culprits. Incidents of unknown killings have hit the country in recent times, and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, Prof John Evans Atta Mills has described them as contract killings. However, criminologists and social psychologists have sharply disagreed with the former law teacher saying that there was not enough evidence to support his assertion.