CEO Irene Atubiga, killed in Sakumono double shooting, built shea butter empire to empower Northern women

The woman gunned down alongside her uncle at a residential estate in Sakumono, Accra, on Friday, 30 October 2026, has been identified as Irene Atubiga, a 47-year-old entrepreneur, mother of two young boys, and the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kussa Shea Bliss — a premium shea butter skincare and personal care company with roots in Northern Ghana.

Her uncle, 57-year-old George Atubiga, was killed in the same attack. Both victims were found lying in pools of blood at their NTHC Estate home by officers from the Sakumono District Police Command, who had responded to reports of a shooting. A medical officer later pronounced them dead at hospital, and their bodies were deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy. Irene's brother has since described the killings publicly as a gruesome murder.

From banking halls to building a shea butter brand

Before establishing herself as a businesswoman, Irene Atubiga spent more than a decade working in Ghana's banking sector. She held roles in quality assurance and customer experience at Ecobank Ghana — a career path that gave her a strong foundation in business operations and client relations before she transitioned fully into entrepreneurship.

She channelled that experience into founding Kussa Shea Bliss, a company built on the idea of creating a premium skincare brand rooted in shea butter and the traditional knowledge surrounding its production. The company sources its raw shea butter from women's cooperatives in Northern Ghana, positioning itself not merely as a beauty brand but as a vehicle for women's economic empowerment and sustainable wealth creation in communities that have long depended on the shea industry.

Kussa Shea Bliss markets its natural skincare and personal care formulations to customers in Ghana and internationally, emphasising ethically sourced ingredients and sustainable business practices. In a country where shea butter is both a cultural staple and a growing global export commodity, Irene's work represented a meaningful effort to add value locally rather than export the raw material unprocessed.

What the police say happened

The Ghana Police Service says preliminary investigations point to a financial dispute as the likely trigger for the killings. According to police, George Atubiga had allegedly borrowed GH¢500,000 from a man identified as Samuel Christopher Osei Anto but had not repaid the amount.

On the morning of 30 October, Osei Anto reportedly arrived at the victims' residence accompanied by a woman identified as Beatrice Mumuni, 47, to demand repayment of the debt. A confrontation allegedly broke out during the encounter, after which Osei Anto is accused of shooting and killing both George and his niece Irene.

Police have since arrested Beatrice Mumuni, who is believed to have guided Osei Anto to the property. Osei Anto himself remains at large and has been declared wanted. The Ghana Police Service is offering a reward of GH¢100,000 for credible information leading to his arrest, and is urging members of the public to contact the nearest police station or call emergency lines 191 or 18555. Investigations are ongoing.

Why it matters for Ghana

The killing of Irene Atubiga has provoked significant public grief and anger, and rightly so. She was not simply a business owner — she represented the kind of entrepreneurial story Ghana needs more of: a professional who left a stable corporate career to build something that simultaneously served consumers, supported rural women producers in the North, and promoted a homegrown brand on the international stage.

Her death also raises uncomfortable questions about the dangers that can accompany informal high-value financial arrangements. A dispute over half a million cedis allegedly ending in two deaths is a stark reminder of the risks when large sums change hands outside structured legal frameworks, and when debt recovery turns violent.

• The shea butter industry is a significant source of income for thousands of women in Northern Ghana, and companies like Kussa Shea Bliss play a role in giving that sector greater commercial reach and visibility.
• The GH¢100,000 reward offered by police for information on suspect Samuel Christopher Osei Anto is an unusually high-profile appeal, reflecting the gravity of the case.
• Beatrice Mumuni, arrested in connection with the killings, is alleged to have led the gunman to the victims' home.

As police continue their manhunt, the nation mourns a woman whose entrepreneurial journey was cut short — and whose community, customers, and the women's cooperatives she worked with in the North are among those left to reckon with the loss.