The body of a male bus conductor has been retrieved by police in Wa, marking the latest grim discovery in what has become known as the ‘Wa Killings.’
The victim, identified as Richard Opoku, was found with his throat slit behind a trailer in the early hours of Monday, July 15. This brings the total number of unexplained killings in Wa to 17 within a relatively short period.
According to sources from JoyNews, Opoku had accompanied a trailer transporting salt to Wa with plans to unload the cargo upon arrival.
However, upon reaching Wa, the deceased and the driver were unable to offload the salt and drove to the residence of the salt owner. Opoku was invited to spend the night in a room at the owner’s house but chose to rest on the veranda before retiring to bed.
The following morning, traces of blood were discovered on the veranda, leading to the gruesome find of Opoku’s body behind the house. In response, police have initiated investigations and arrested the salt owner and the trailer driver for further questioning.
The Member of Parliament for Wa Central, Rashid Pelpuo, has called on security services to intensify efforts to locate and apprehend those responsible for these mysterious killings.
He expressed concern over the increasing lawlessness and the promotion of illegal activities, such as secret societies advertising wealth through dubious means on radio.
Pelpuo criticized the police for not investigating these illegal organizations, stating, “When the people go out to take the laws into their own hands, you can’t control them. It’s painful that you see these things happening but you don’t see the people. You can imagine people sitting on radio advertising that they have secret societies and they would be rich if they join.”
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Bole, Yusif Sulemana, has also intensified calls for action against the ongoing serial killings in his constituency.
He urged the Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, to implement measures to end the Wa killings, highlighting the self-imposed curfew that has gripped the community due to fear of potential attacks.
“Last night, for instance, Mr Speaker, I decided to take a walk in the Bole Township and by 8:30 pm, almost everyone was asleep, self-imposed curfew. We cannot continue in this manner,” he stated.