- Renewed clashes between Akyode and Challa communities raise the death toll to 7
- Victims include a final-year student; others injured, including two female students
- Oti Regional Minister John Gyapong calls for immediate community-led peace efforts
Five more fatalities have been confirmed in the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Akyode and Challa communities in Nkwanta South Municipality, Oti Region—bringing the death toll to seven since violence erupted on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. This update comes from journalist Emmanuel Modey.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) reports that Nkwanta has been reduced to a state of desolation, with daily life and economic activity grinding to a halt amid the unrest.
Among the deceased is a final-year student from Nkwanta Senior High School. Several others have sustained injuries, including two female day students who were hit by gunfire.
As a precaution, all public and private schools in the municipality have been closed. At Nkwanta Senior High School, police escorts were arranged to safely transport students back to their homes.
The violence has also forced non-local teachers to flee, while businesses remain shuttered, leaving the town eerily quiet and tense.
In response to the escalating crisis, the Chief of Kpassa, Ubor Konja Tasan, has called on the Kokomba community to remain calm and support peace efforts.
“We must show that peaceful coexistence among different ethnic groups is possible. Let us work together toward a shared future,” he said.
Oti Regional Minister John Kwadwo Gyapong visited the area to console affected families. He acknowledged the deteriorating situation and stressed the need for unified, decisive action.
“It is time for both the youth and elders to take a stand for peace. Lasting stability can only be achieved if we commit to ending the hostilities,” he stated.
Gyapong warned that the continued violence threatens the region’s peace, security, and development, urging both sides to abandon weapons and embrace dialogue as the only sustainable path forward.
