Lome: A Foreign Currency Dealer Killed By Robbers

A prominent Congolese foreign currency dealer has been killed by suspected robbers at his residence in Nyekonakpoe, a suburb of Lome, the capital of Togo.

The suspects also succeeded in making away with the deceased person's money bag containing undisclosed amounts of different foreign currency notes.

The deceased, Bikota Lukunda, aged about 40, married with children, also doubled in money transfer business.

Sources close to fellow currency dealers told the GNA at Kodjoviakope that about 1930 hours on Saturday, September 1, the deceased, a Democratic Republic of Congo national left Kodjoviakope, his business point, for home after work.

Unknown to the deceased, the two criminals riding on a motor bike, trailed and finally crashed their bike into the charted motor bike carrying the deceased home right at the gate to his Nyekonakpoe residence.

The sources said a struggle ensued between the deceased and his attackers over his money bag, during which the attackers stabbed him about seven times at different parts of his body including; the abdomen with knives they were armed with, before finally zooming off on their bike into the neighbourhood with the money bag.

The sources said neighbours, for fear, failed to respond to the distress call of the deceased, while his charted bike rider also fled.

The deceased was however pronounced dead on arrival at the Tokoin Hospital in Lome, where he was rushed to with blood heavily oozing from the wounds.

Sources close to the Centrale Police post in Lome confirmed the incidence and said the body was in the Tokoin Hospital morgue pending autopsy.

The sources said the Togolese security authorities were not taking the issue lightly and will do everything possible to unearth the perpetrators of the killing.