At about 6 pm on Friday, 18 September 2026, Dr Kofi Akamani joined a family conference call from the United States. The call was to discuss sending a delegation to a funeral in Biu, near Navrongo in Ghana’s Upper East Region. Four family members spoke actively while others listened. As the call ended, Kofi said goodbye and wished those travelling a safe journey. It was the last time most of his family in Ghana would hear from him.
One of his sisters noticed something unusual. Kofi was quieter and slower in speech than usual. Normally loud and expressive, he seemed subdued that evening, though no one knew why.
The following day, Saturday, 19 September, Kofi was shot in Illinois and later died from his injuries. He was 48 years old.
Kofi Akamani was one of six children. His family in Ghana traces roots to the north: his mother from Kologo, near Navrongo, and his father from Biu, a Builsa community in the Upper East Region. As he grew, Kofi’s education and career took him from Ghana to the US and international scientific circles. His work focused on environmental science, forests, biodiversity, natural resources, and how communities interact with their environment.
On Saturday, 26 September, five former classmates from Osei Tutu Secondary School in the Ashanti Region visited Kofi’s family home in Akropong to mourn with them. The group included Samuel Duncan, Ashanti Central Zone Head of OmniBSIC Bank, Ewura Baba Al-Hassan, Albert Opoku, Kwodwo Acheampong, and Henry Sarfo Adu Amankwa. They came to pay respects and remember Kofi before his career took him abroad.
Samuel Duncan recalled Kofi as quiet, disciplined, humble, and respectful. “Right from the beginning, Kofi has always remained very humble,” Duncan said. “He’s been very respectful. He’s been very obedient.” Henry, who grew up with Kofi in Akropong, described him as calm and gentle. “He was a good man,” Henry said. “From the beginning, he was humble, down to earth.”
Kofi entered Osei Tutu Secondary School in 1989 as one of the youngest in his class. He spent much time studying and rarely got into trouble.
Kofi’s final day was tied to his two children. He and his wife had been separated for about two years and were awaiting a divorce and custody hearing. Public reports confirm the dissolution case was pending. According to JoyNews, the couple shared custody, with Kofi scheduled to spend time with the children on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A source told JoyNews Kofi had been seeking full custody. The matter was still before the court with a hearing expected later in September.
On Saturday, 19 September, Kofi picked up his children, spent time with them, and later returned them to their mother. Prosecutors say Kofi was shot as he drove away from his wife’s home after dropping off the children.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a shooting near a residence off Lake Road, between Murphysboro and Carbondale, Illinois, at about 5 pm that day. Kofi was rushed to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead.
His wife, Betty Akamani, 35, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child. The charges remain allegations. She appeared in Jackson County court on 21 September and is scheduled to appear again on 6 October.
For Kofi’s family in Ghana, the news came not from American authorities but by phone. One of his younger relatives was in Sunyani pursuing further studies and planned to call Kofi on Sunday, 20 September. But rain delayed the call. The next morning, Monday, 21 September, another family member in the US called, crying and telling him Kofi was dead.
He travelled from Sunyani to Akropong to inform the family. What would usually be a two-hour trip became a heavy journey carrying the news of Kofi’s death.
After arriving, he told family elders, who contacted other relatives and arranged for a delegation to visit the Catholic priest at St Lawrence Catholic Church in Akropong.
The family and friends held a funeral in Biu, near Navrongo, where Kofi’s father’s community is located. The event brought together people who had known Kofi from his childhood, school years, and professional life.
Kofi Akamani’s death has left a gap in his family and community. Those who knew him remember a man who was steady, humble, and devoted to his work and family. His story is now part of a painful chapter connecting two continents.
According to Joy Online.
