The Wa Municipality has been thrown into shock after a night security guard was gruesomely killed at the Dobile Electoral Area in the early hours of Saturday, September 20.

The victim, identified as Yahya Issa, popularly known as Soja, was discovered dead near the Wa Regional Market, where he worked as a night watchman.

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Issah Nura Danwana, confirmed the incident, describing it as deeply disturbing. He said he was alerted by National Security and rushed to the scene.

“Street lights remain a major issue. We have worked on 378 lights and repaired 166, but there is still a deficit of about 400.

We are following up with the Ministry of Energy to ensure that more lights are fixed. Many dark spots have been lit in recent weeks, but more needs to be done,” the MCE told journalists.

He, however, noted that the crime scene was only 400 meters from a police station and close to the new market, raising further questions about the effectiveness of security patrols in the area.

Assembly Member for the Dobile Electoral Area, Zakaria Ibrahim, who also visited the scene, described the killing as shocking.

“Before we arrived, a knife was found lying on his chest. His face was badly smashed, with blood flowing from the forehead. From what we gathered, the attackers may have used a block to hit his head,” he explained.

Police have conveyed the body to the Upper West Regional Hospital mortuary for autopsy and investigations.

This incident has reignited fears among residents, recalling similar cases in 2022 when a spate of murders targeting private security guards rocked the Wa Municipality. At the time, body parts were reportedly removed from some victims, though that was not the case in this latest killing.

Residents are now demanding stronger police presence and urgent interventions to prevent a possible resurgence of violent attacks in the municipality.