US-based Ghanaian Professor Kofi Akamani Shot Dead in the USA

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) reported a shooting incident at around 5 p.m. Saturday on Lake Road, between Murphysboro and Carbondale, Illinois.

The victim, 48-year-old Kofi Akamani, was taken to Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. Dr. Akamani was a professor in the Department of Forestry at SIU Carbondale, specializing in forest recreation and conservation social science.

Following their investigation, JCSO arrested Akamani’s wife, 35-year-old Betty Akamani, who faces multiple charges related to the shooting. The investigation, still in its early stages, involves assistance from the Jackson County Ambulance Service, Coroner’s Office, and State’s Attorney’s Office.

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No further information is available at this time.

Dr. Akamani began his academic journey in Ghana at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Development Planning with a focus on Urban Planning. He then pursued a Master of Philosophy at the University of Oslo, graduating in 2006, before obtaining a PhD in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho. Notably, during his doctoral research, he spent six months in Ghana studying the effects of collaborative forest management on local communities in the Ashanti Region.