Mobile money vendors in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region have suspended their services due to rampant robbery attacks on service providers.
The mobile money vendors intend to protest during this break to raise awareness of the gruesome murder of service providers by armed robbers in the area.
The Mobile Money Vendors Association in a statement also emphasized that the suspension aims to ensure the safety of its members following 12 armed robbery incidents recorded in the municipality over the past three months, eight of which targeted mobile money operators.
Four mobile money shops, just in August 2024, were looted by armed men, resulting in thousands of Ghana Cedis stolen and two fatalities.
Despite four suspects being arrested, their release on bail has raised further concerns about safety and the adequacy of the legal response.
The association’s chairman, Tahiru Issahaku, explained that suspending services is necessary to protect members from harm.
Residents are appealing to security agencies in the municipality to intervene by ensuring full protection of mobile money operators for services to continue.
Recently, a gang of armed robbers killed two persons at Wallembelle in the Sissala East municipality of the Upper West region.
The robbery attack happened at a mobile money shop around 7 pm on Saturday, August 17.
Reports indicate that the four armed men arrived at the mobile money shop on motorbikes and fired gunshots sporadically.
They ransacked the place and stole an undisclosed amount of money.
According to one of the survivors of the attack, after looting the shop, the robbers could immediately not get one of their motorbikes to start, which delayed their escape.
Seeing their struggle, one of the deceased, Tordia Munkailu, decided to raise an alarm in hopes others in the area would help apprehend the robbers.
However, sensing danger, the robbers opened fire on him and another victim, Fuseini Benorwuo, killing them instantly.
They quickly fled the scene after the shooting, abandoning the faulty motorbike.
