The community of Gomoa Akoti in the Gomoa East District is reeling from the brutal murder of 63-year-old Kwame Boateng, a private security officer, as the bereaved family demands justice.

The security officer was killed by suspected thieves targeting a power transformer at a factory under construction.

His grieving family is now fervently demanding swift justice for his untimely death, which occurred while he was on night duty.

For the bereaved family, the focus is now squarely on apprehending those responsible. Speaking to Citi News on Friday, July 4, a distraught family member, Kwame Koomson, voiced their urgent plea: "We are counting on the police to conduct swift investigations into the issue and also have the perpetrators arrested to bring justice."

Another relative echoed the grief and the desperate need for closure, stressing that only "the prompt apprehension of the suspects could bring them some measure of comfort."

Kwame Boateng, employed by Debridge, a private security service, had reported for his overnight shift at a factory being developed under the government's flagship One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative.

His lifeless body was discovered on the factory premises, bearing grim signs of violence.

His hands and legs were tied, and a black plastic bag covered his head, suggesting suffocation as a possible cause of death.

The scene provided crucial clues to the motive behind the heinous act.

Dismantled components of a decommissioned power transformer belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) were found nearby, indicating that the assailants' primary objective was the theft of the transformer and other valuable electrical cables.

The rising demand for scrap metal and the high cost of copper have fueled a surge in such crimes across various regions of Ghana, with power transformers and cables frequently targeted.

ECG has previously reported significant losses, sometimes running into millions of Ghana Cedis annually, due to vandalism and theft of infrastructure.

This tragic incident has amplified existing concerns among opinion leaders in Gomoa Akoti about the escalating crime rate.

They are now vociferously calling on security authorities to implement robust and effective crime prevention measures to safeguard both residents and valuable property, especially critical national assets like those associated with the 1D1F programme, which aims to establish at least one industrial enterprise in each of Ghana's 261 districts to boost local production and employment.

The murder of a security officer performing his duty serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers posed by criminal elements and the urgent need for enhanced security provisions in rapidly developing industrial zones.