Ghanaian scholar Kofi Akamani shot dead in the US — MyJoyOnline
On September 19, 2026, 48-year-old Ghanaian scholar Kofi Akamani was shot dead in the US state of Illinois. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported that at around 5:00 p.m., law enforcement officers responded to a call about a shooting near a residence on Lake Road between Murphysboro and Carbondale.
Akamani was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where medical staff pronounced him dead from his injuries. As MyJoyOnline reports, prosecutors allege that he was shot as he was driving away from his wife’s home after returning their two children to her.
Charges against the wife
The deceased man’s wife, 35-year-old Betty Akamani, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child. These charges are allegations by the prosecution, and the court has not yet considered the case on its merits.
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On September 21, Betty Akamani appeared before the Jackson County court. The next hearing in her case is scheduled for October 6. According to the outlet, the couple had lived separately for about two years and were awaiting the finalization of divorce proceedings and consideration of child custody. They had joint custody, and Kofi Akamani spent time with the children every Wednesday and Saturday.
Last conversation with family
On the evening of September 18, Akamani joined a phone conversation from the US with his family in Ghana concerning a trip to a funeral in Biu, near Navrongo. After the conversation ended, he said goodbye to his relatives and wished a safe journey to those planning to travel.
The scholar’s sister later recalled that he had been unusually quiet that evening and answered more slowly than usual. Relatives learned of his death by phone on the morning of September 21. Akamani was one of six children in the family; his professional work was related to environmental sciences, forests, biodiversity, and natural resources.
