One person has died and another suffered gunshots injury Monday evening after armed men suspected to be robbers opened fire at a market in Walewale in the Northern region.
The unknown gunmen numbering about six arrived at the market on two motorbikes at about 6:50 pm and fired sporadically before targeting mobile money vendors and shop owners.
Residents and eye witnesses said the gunmen were fulanis and that the guns they wielded were sophisticated and “powerful”.
The man killed was identified as Mr. Razak, a driver with the Cocobod at Dunkwa in the Central region but a native of a village in the West Mamprusi district called Tampulungu.
He was killed by a stray bullet while leaving the market after sending cash to his wife using the mobile money service.
“At around 6:50pm this guys came on two motorbikes with three people on each motorbike. So they arrived and started shooting and as of that time the deceased was also there to send money to his wife and that he had finished sending GH200 and was about leaving when they arrived and started shooting, so in attempt to run they shot him twice and killed him,” a resident informed Starr News.
A student nurse whose mother’s store was also targeted sustained an ankle injury in the heist but managed to escape and was receiving treatment. He has been identified as Majeed.
The eyewitness also described a chaotic scene and said people fell on the floor out of fear. The robbers later unmounted from their motorbikes after the market was left empty and took away a bag containing textiles. The gunmen believed the bag was full of money and fled with it.
The deceased was left at the scene until police later conveyed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead and the body released to the family for burial. There is still little information on the amount stolen from the vendors and shop owners.
Exactly a year ago, five persons suffered severe gunshots injuries in similar attack at Wulugu, another community in the district few kilometers from Walewale where this latest incident happened.
Those gunmen were also identified as Fulani herdsmen who came on motorbikes and ordered mobile money vendors to surrender their proceeds before firing indiscriminately.
One motorbike was retrieved and handed over to the police. In both cases police have not been able to make any arrest.
The Police is yet to comment on the latest incident that has left residents in shock.
