A 54-year-old commercial farmer, with a large-scale kraal, Abdul-Rahman Mohammed, has been shot and killed by suspected cattle rustlers in the Gbagbagbunto community, a suburb of Busunu in the Savannah Region.

The West Gonja Municipal police command confirmed the incident.

The Municipal commander, ASP Charles Aninagyei, said, "We received a situational report from Busunu police station on the matter, and when we visited the scene, we spotted three gunshot wounds on the stomach and abdomen of the deceased. We took him to the St Anne Catholic Hospital, and one Dr Haruna, examined and confirmed his death. So, he is still in the hospital for an autopsy," ASP Charles stated.

In an interview with Myjoyonline, the Assembly Member for the Busunu electoral area, Dari Osman Thomas, corroborated the findings and indicated that the deceased was shot the moment he identified them [the suspects].

According to Mr Dari, the caretaker of the cattle, placed a distress call to the cattle owner, now deceased, who suspected cattle wrestlers had invaded the bush and were shooting at them and the animals.

“But the deceased, upon receiving the message, went with a brother on a motorbike to assess the situation, only to see two bulls' meat cut into packaging forms to be carried away. So, the moment they arrived at the scene, the suspects saw them, they shot at them, but the bullets didn't harm them, only the friend's shirt that partially got burnt".

“During this period, the herdsman had escaped for his life. After the first gunshot, the deceased identified the suspects and remarked, 'Oh, but I know you and why should you be doing this to me?'. Right after saying that, they shot at him, and he became unconscious”, Dari Thomas indicated.

The residents went ahead and reported the case to the community chief, who subsequently invited the police and the body was moved to the St Anne Catholic hospital for autopsy to be conducted in Damongo.

The deceased left behind twelve children and two wives.

But there was drama at the police station when family members massed up at the police station demanding the six thousand they paid for the autopsy. They said their relative is a Muslim and hence did need an autopsy, but they were compelled to pay the said amount.

The police eventually refunded the GHS6, 000 paid for the autopsy to the deceased's family.