Oti Regional Minister details 'hidden triggers' of Nkwanta South attacks

Oti Regional Minister, John Kwadwo Gyapong, has attributed the recent killings and rising tensions in Nkwanta and its surrounding communities to an escalating land dispute.

Speaking on JoyNews AM Show on Friday, March 27, 2026, he said that the situation is increasingly taking the form of a struggle over land ownership, with different groups asserting competing claims over the area.

According to him, some factions insist they were the first settlers and therefore hold exclusive rights to the land, while others strongly contest those claims.

He noted that such positions are often reinforced by references to traditional authority, including the existence of a paramount chief.

Oti Regional Minister calls for peace in Nkwanta South

“I hear some groups say they were the first to settle there and therefore own the land, even pointing to the existence of a paramount chief as justification, while others do not have one,” he said.

Gyapong stressed that these narratives around settlement history and chieftaincy are fuelling divisions and undermining peace, creating a growing perception that the conflict is rooted in both land ownership and identity.

On the security situation, he disclosed that no arrests have been made yet in connection with the recent incident.

MRA/VPO

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