Nkwanta in Shock: Death Toll Hits 7 as Ethnic Violence Shuts Down Town and Schools

The death toll has risen to seven amid escalating ethnic clashes between the Akyode and Challa communities in Nkwanta-South Municipality, Oti Region.

Five more fatalities were reported since the conflict reignited last Wednesday, according to Emmanuel Modey.

The Ghana News Agency reveals that Nkwanta has transformed into a ghost town, with all social and economic activities coming to a standstill due to the ongoing violence.

The conflict, which erupted on June 25, 2025, has claimed seven lives, including a final-year student of Nkwanta Senior High School, and injured several others—among them two female day students who suffered gunshot wounds.

In response, all public and private schools in the area have been closed to protect students and staff, with police escorts arranged to ensure the safe return of students from Nkwanta Senior High School.

Many non-native teachers have fled the town, intensifying the climate of fear. Businesses remain shuttered, replacing the usual liveliness with an unsettling silence.

Chief Ubor Konja Tasan of Kpassa has urged the Kokomba community to exercise restraint and actively work toward peace, emphasizing the importance of ethnic harmony for the region’s shared prosperity.

Oti Regional Minister John Kwadwo Gyapong visited the affected families to offer condolences and stressed the urgency of ending the conflict.

He called on both youth and elders to back peace efforts, warning that continued violence jeopardizes the safety, well-being, and development of the entire area.

Mr. Gyapong appealed to the rival communities to abandon weapons and seek peaceful resolutions to their differences before more lives are lost.