Nchiraa Yam Festival shooting leaves two dead and 13 injured

Gunfire erupted during a chieftaincy escort procession at the end of the annual Yam festival in Nchiraa, a community in the Wenchi Municipality of Ghana's Bono Region. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as Nana Tabiri Yaw II and his sub-chiefs were being escorted back to the palace.

The violence resulted in two deaths and left between 13 and 14 people injured. Among the injured were 13 individuals who sustained gunshot wounds, including an on-duty police officer. The deceased have been moved to the Wenchi Methodist Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

Chief Inspector Thomas Akeelah of the Bono Regional Police Command stated that investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators and the motive behind the shooting. Following the unrest, the Wenchi Divisional Police reported that calm has been restored, and security forces have intensified patrols in the area to prevent further violence or reprisal attacks.