Ghanaian professor Kofi Akamani shot dead in Illinois; wife arrested

Dr. Kofi Akamani, a 48-year-old Ghanaian professor at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, was fatally shot on Saturday, September 19, 2026, in Jackson County, Illinois. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Akamani was shot multiple times while sitting in his car in the driveway of a residence near Lake Road, between Murphysboro and Carbondale. He was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have arrested Akamani’s 35-year-old wife, Betty Akamani, in connection with the shooting. She faces charges including two counts of felony first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child. Court records indicate the couple had been separated for approximately two years and were in the process of divorcing. Betty Akamani was denied release at a recent court appearance and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 6.

Dr. Akamani was a distinguished academic in the Department of Forestry, specializing in forest recreation, conservation social science, and natural resource management. His career included studies at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, the University of Oslo in Norway, and the University of Idaho. SIU has expressed condolences to his family, students, and colleagues following the loss.