Wa Killings: Residents call for collaboration with police to help fight menace after Monday's murder

Residents of Wa Municipal and its environs are calling for the formation of watchdog committees to help the police unravel the mysterious killings in the area.

According to them, security alone may not be able to effectively fight the barbaric phenomenon that has left the people living in great fear.

They believe that with the indigenes being more conversant with every nook and cranny of the inner areas, coupled with the ability to identify intruders, that would enable them to report to the police upon noticing any suspected early signs.

They made the call on Monday, July 15, 2024, after a vehicle conductor became the third victim to be assassinated in cold blood this year within the space of less than two months by unknown serial killers, who have succeeded in making Wa Municipal a living hell for the people for some time now.

This comes barely 48 hours after residents staged a demonstration on Saturday, July 13, to register their displeasure over the two-year unresolved killings in the town.

This current incident is reminiscent of a similar action by those uncivilized characters about two years ago when the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Akufo Dampare, was welcomed with another murder case in Wa the very night he stormed the area with his personnel to help find a lasting solution to the killings, revealing their seemingly daring nature.

According to reports, the incident occurred at Dobile, a suburb in the Wa Municipality, when the deceased, who arrived with his master on Sunday night, decided to pass the night outside a veranda.

The report indicated that even though he was offered a place to lodge to avoid mosquito bites, he rather insisted on passing the night there, only to be missing at dawn when his master, the driver, had woken up to observe his Muslim dawn prayers.

This triggered a search for him after spotting some blood stains on his sleeping mat.

During the search, the body of the mate, Oppong Richard, who was in his thirties, was found a few meters away behind the house with a slit throat.

The incident brings the number of this year's killings that resurfaced in less than two months now to three, but 16 in total since 2022, when the barbaric phenomenon first reared its ugly head.

Assembly Member for the Dobile electoral area, Ibrahim Zakaria, addressing the media, said: "Actually, I don't know the deceased, but the reports say he is a mate of this trailer loaded with bags of salt. I was told he and the driver came last night, and when they were about to sleep, they came with a cargo of salt, and so the company receiving them, the man hosting them, gave the mate a room instead of sleeping outside to avoid mosquitoes, but he insisted on sleeping there. So at dawn, when the driver came out to perform ablution for his dawn prayers, he didn't see the mate, prompting a search for him, having spotted blood stains on the mat he had slept on. But sadly, he was found murdered in cold blood."

"Just as we are saying, the matter is a huge one; it's very frightening and disgusting, as everyone is sad. We think that the people should be allowed to mobilise themselves in the form of watchdog committees and help the security because we're the ones who know every nook and cranny of our area; if not, the police alone can't do it all. For instance, in every area, the Assembly Member can mobilise his people to help police the area and look out for bad elements in the area; other than that, we're in serious trouble," Ibrahim Zakaria added.

The latest incident has again sent shockwaves amongst the people over the resurgence of the killers, calling on the police for reinforcement to improve upon their monitoring and patrols with the collaboration of the indigenous people.

Both the driver and his host are currently in the grips of the police, assisting with investigations.