Dr. Kofi Akamani, a Ghanaian professor at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, has been shot dead in Illinois, and his wife has been arrested in connection with the shooting, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO).
What police say
Deputies responded to reports of a shooting at about 5 p.m. on Saturday near Lake Road, between Murphysboro and Carbondale. Akamani, 48, was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
After an investigation, the sheriff's office said his wife, 35-year-old Betty Akamani, was arrested in connection with the shooting and faces multiple charges over her alleged involvement.
The investigation is ongoing and at an early stage, the JCSO said, with help from the Jackson County Ambulance Service, the Jackson County Coroner's Office and the Jackson County State's Attorney's Office.It said no further information would be released for now.
Ms. Akamani has been arrested but not tried, and the allegations against her remain unproven.
A scholar of forests and communities
Akamani was a professor in SIU Carbondale's Department of Forestry, teaching forest recreation and conservation social science, according to the university's website.
Citi Newsroom reported that he began his education in Ghana at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, earning a bachelor's degree in Development Planning.
He obtained a Master of Philosophy from the University of Oslo in 2006, and a PhD in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho. During his doctoral studies he spent six months in Ghana researching how collaborative forest management affects the resilience of two forest-dependent communities in the Ashanti Region.
Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,
International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. ( USIP)
[email protected]
+233555275880
Source
Citi Newsroom, "US-based Ghanaian lecturer Kofi Akamani shot dead in Illinois; wife arrested," Juliana Odame Asare, Sept. 21, 2026 (https://www.citinewsroom.com/2026/09/us-based-ghanaian-lecturer-kofi-akamani-shot-dead-in-illinois-wife-arrested/)
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