General News of 2026-09-22
From Professor to Pastor’s Wife: 4 times Ghanaians have been shot or stabbed by their spouses in the US
There has been a growing trend of Ghanaian couples residing abroad, mostly in the United States of America (US), being involved in high-profile incidents of stabbing or shooting.
A disturbing pattern of violent incidents involving Ghanaian couples living abroad has raised concerns, with some domestic disputes escalating into fatal or near-fatal attacks.
It is either a wife shooting or stabbing her husband or vice versa, which in most cases has resulted in the victims losing their lives or sustaining life-threatening injuries.
In several of these cases, Ghanaian spouses have been accused of stabbing or shooting their partners during heated confrontations, leaving families devastated and, in some instances, facing criminal charges and lengthy legal battles.
Here are some major shooting or stabbing cases involving Ghanaian couples abroad:
Ghanaian pastor shot wife to death in Orlando, US – 2020
Barbara Tommey was shot and killed by husband, Pastor Sylvester Ofori
In 2020, Barbara Tommey was shot seven times by her husband, a Ghanaian pastor named Sylvester Ofori, in Orlando, in the United States. Ofori and Barbara were both staying in the US as husband and wife before Barbara left him due to his abusive behaviour.
According to sources, the man had been beating his wife for many years. Barbara's family persuaded her to leave Sylvester, which she did.
The husband, however, tracked her to her workplace, where he shot her seven times after a short confrontation.
The couple, who were in the middle of a divorce and were separated at the time of the incident, had been married for some five years.
Following the fatal shooting of Barbara, her family released a video where her husband threatened to kill the 27-year-old some few days before the murder.
The late Barbara Tommey, in the company of her elder brother, Perry, and some family members, had visited her estranged husband's home to pick up some documents when she was attacked by her husband in the presence of her family members.
A heated exchange between her brother and her husband resulted in Ofori issuing a threat to murder his wife.
"If I don't kill your sister then I am fake," the pastor blurted out.
Barbara was buried on Saturday, September 26, 2020, in Orlando following a burial and funeral service at the Kingdom Church in Orlando, Florida.
Ghanaian man shot wife before killing himself in Ohio – 2023
In 2023, a tragic incident unfolded in Columbus, Ohio, as a Ghanaian man took his own life after shooting his wife, leaving her critically wounded. The incident, according to Fox 28, started as a domestic violence dispute and left neighbours in disbelief.
According to Michael Montgomery, a next-door neighbour, the couple had always been pleasant, and they had never witnessed any problems between them. He described the news as "very, very shocking."
At approximately 10:36 pm, Columbus police responded to a report of a domestic violence incident in the 4800 block of Glendon Road.
However, as the officers were en route, the situation escalated into a shooting.
Upon arrival, the police discovered that 49-year-old Kwabena Michael Amoako had tragically lost his life.
The 50-year-old woman, identified as Yaa Gyamfua, his wife, had sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to Riverside Methodist Hospital in critical condition.
Their neighbour recounted how he learned about the gunfire when the couple's three young sons knocked on his door seeking help.
The couple, who had been living in the home for nearly a decade, were known for their active involvement in the Ghanaian community in Columbus.
Montgomery expressed his regret, wishing he could have done something to prevent the tragedy.
He emphasised that there were no apparent signs of such violence within the family.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the police revealed that Amoako had shot his wife before taking his own life.
Ghanaian former parliamentary candidate allegedly stabbed wife in US – 2026
Valentino Nortey reportedly stabbed his wife, Gilda Nortey, three times, reports have said
Also in 2026, Gilda Nortey, a Ghanaian woman, was stabbed by her husband, Valentino Nortey, the 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korle.
Gilda Nortey was reportedly stabbed three times by her husband during an altercation at their home along Mayfair Drive in Lower Paxton Township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
A court affidavit sighted by GhanaWeb on January 27, 2026, detailed how the victim arrived naked at the Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Centre after sustaining stab wounds inflicted with a black Home Hero-brand knife.
According to the affidavit, a staff member at the Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Centre contacted the police around 9:15 am on Saturday, January 17, 2026, to report the condition of Gilda upon her arrival at the emergency room for treatment.
"Staff at Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Centre called Paxton police at about 9:15 a.m. Saturday, after a naked woman with stab wounds arrived at their emergency room," police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
US-based Ghanaian professor shot dead by wife – 2026
The latest shooting incident involves a Ghanaian professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Dr Kofi Akamani, who died after being shot multiple times by his wife at a home in Jackson County, Illinois.
His wife, 35-year-old Betty Akamani, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with his death. According to court records and the Jackson County State's Attorney's Office, the couple had been separated for about two years and were in the process of getting a divorce.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a reported shooting at about 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Court records indicate that Betty Akamani is accused of shooting her 48-year-old husband multiple times while he was sitting in his car in the driveway of her Murphysboro home.
Kofi Akamani was taken to a hospital in Carbondale, where he later died from his injuries. The Jackson County State's Attorney, Marsha Cascio-Hale, later confirmed that the shooting occurred at a home on Anthony Drive.
BAI/VPO
2027 AFCONQ: Carlos Queiroz Speaks on Black Stars Selection and His Ambitions
