Akatsi murder cases on the rise: Traditional rulers call for calm amidst investigation

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,2023.

Statistics indicate that the deaths were due to robbery, vehicular accidents, police brutality and domestic violence. On Tuesday, 21 June, a 30-year-old Nelson Mandela Zanu met his untimely death.

He was shot twice and killed by unknown gunmen in his neighbourhood while on his way home after work at about 8 in the evening.

Nelson was an Okada rider (commercial motorbike operator) and owned a mobile money business near the Akatsi College of Education.

According to his friends, Nelson left the Okada station at about 7:30pm to take home his employee who works at the mobile money business centre, his news of demise came an hour after he left.

They described him as a calm person and a visionary young man.

Nelson was said to be going home with seven smart and non-smartphones and a sum of over Ghc18,000 in his bag.

The unknown perpetrators took away the money, phones and his motorbike with registration number VR-436-13 after shooting him to death. Police recovered from the scene a pistol believed to have been used to commit the crime.

He left behind two children, a 7- and 2-year-old girl and boy respectively, and a 34-year-old widow, Georgina Adifu.

Father of the deceased, Steven Senugbe said his family is depressed and short of words. He appealed to authorities to speed up investigations in order to serve justice.

He bemoaned on immoral lifestyles of some youth in the Akatsi township and called for further security system, "...crime is increasing in Akatsi and this one is too painful. I plead for military camp in this area maybe with this the town will be safe".

"It's risky going out to the town, even going out to urinate is not safe at all, you will see young people with unpleasant hairstyles, smoking marijuana day and night without fear and if you are not careful, they'll easily attack you" he added.

On a visit to the deceased's house, women in the neighbourhood were seen comforting the widow, she said what she seeks is to fetch out those who killed her husband and punished them too.

Nelson's 2-year-old son was busy playing with toys and riding a bicycle, knowing nothing about the whereabouts of his dad.

Press conferences by traditional rulers

Three days after the murder, the Avenor traditional council held a press conference on the case where they condemned the crime and placed a sum of Ghc20,000 on the head of the culprit.

Torgbui Dorglo Anuma VI is the president of the Avenor Traditional Council. He sent condolences to the bereaved family.

"The Avenor traditional council expresses its deep condolence to the spouse, children, and the entire family of Mandela Zanu," the Chief said.

The traditional rulers called for calm amidst investigation. "The Avenor Traditional Council calls for calm in these difficult times of recurrent incidents of loss of civilian lives and consequent Police-civilian tension".

The Ghc20,000 bounty was provided by the Traditional Council and Avenor Senior Peers Chambers.

The Chief also called off a planned protest by the Akatsi South youth parliament in honour of the deceased.

"The planned demonstration organized by the Akatsi South Youth Parliament should be called off with immediate effect, as it is feared that fallouts of the intended demonstration may have the unintended consequence of diverting focus from the ongoing investigation into the murder of Mandela Zanu, which we are aware have commenced" Torgbui Dorglo Anuma noted.

Speaker of the youth parliament, Daniel Amuzu Kale in a separate press briefing said "As a respectful and listening youth leadership as we are, we 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 fetch out the perpetrators or they will hit the streets with a demonstration.

For the bereaved family and many residents of Akatsi, Nelson's case should be the last in the area.