A mobile money operator at Kronom-Kyeraasi in the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region has been shot dead by some armed robbers.
The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Richmond Ofori, also known as Papa Yaw, who operates a mobile money business in the area.
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The incident happened on Saturday evening after two armed robbers on a motorbike invaded the shop of the victim to steal his money.
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The deceased was shot twice, leading to his instant death, while another colleague of his who was present at the scene also received gun wounds in the leg.
The armed robbers reportedly bolted with some amount of money, leaving the mobile money teller dead and his colleague currently in critical condition at the Komfo Anokye Hospital.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, Assembly Member for Kyekyere-Kyeraase Electoral, Michael Adu Poku, said the perpetrators of the crime are not yet known.
He explained that “after the incident, everybody’s attention was on the victims so no one took note of the assailants who committed the crime”.
Attacks on mobile money vendors by armed robbers have become rampant around the country in recent months.
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Since the turn of the year, about four cases of robbery have already been recorded by the Police, where tellers have been left either wounded or dead.
Meanwhile, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP George Alex Mensah, has said it is impossible for his outfit to provide adequate security for every mobile money business.
According to him, there are so many mobile money joints around the country, making it almost impossible for the Police to guard all of them.
“The mobile money business is becoming an albatross. The rate at which they are springing up is alarming and they spring up at places which are not safe and I wonder who gives them permission to set up these businesses. These are business ventures and they are dealing with money,” DCOP Mensah said.
He added: “Criminals always put their eyes on cash, they prefer to steal cash to property so if you are licensing people to operate mobile money then you have to make sure the place they are going to operate are secure but no one controls that.”