A 22-year-old livestock trader has been shot and killed by his Burkinabe trading counterpart on the bank of the Black Volta in the Lawra Municipality of the Upper West Region.
Victor Nasana Kungmaa was killed on Sunday, April 16, 2023, after he went to receive some money owed him.
According to the father of the deceased, Albert Kungmaa Ziem, Victor, who lived at Brifoh-Cha traded in cattle, sheep and goats between Burkina Faso and Ghana since they were close to the border.
Narrating the incident, he said his son received a phone call from a business acquaintance in Burkina Faso to come to the river bank to receive the money owed him.
He said Victor crossed the river to Bor-Nakong in the Jabugu District of Burkina Faso with two brothers hoping to collect the money.
However, the Burkinabe businessman shot the deceased in the chest after an argument ensued between the two.
The former then jumped on the back of a waiting motorbike and bolted with the rider.
Kungmaa was taken to the Babile Polyclinic but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Mr Ziem also added that three days after his son’s murder, another young man from a neighbouring village was killed in the same manner.
“We want justice for Victor, and not just for him, as three days after he was shot, another young man also died in a nearby village under similar circumstances. We found the telephone number used to call Victor, which was the same number used to contact the other victim.
“It was the same plan, and we suspect the assailant owed them money from a business transaction, and because he did not want to pay, he decided to kill them, hoping that he would not be found out. We are willing to assist the police in their investigations,” Mr Ziem said.
The family have appealed to the police in the Lawra Municipality and the security agencies to find the culprits.
They said that would give an assurance of the safety and security for young people living in the border town engaged in trading across the border.
Meanwhile, the Lawra Police Commander, DSP Abraham Marteyfio, who confirmed the incident, indicated that the police had launched an investigation into the incident.