Dr Kofi Akamani, a Ghanaian academic who lectured in forestry at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, was shot dead on Saturday afternoon near Lake Road, between Murphysboro and Carbondale, Illinois. The 48‑year‑old was found injured by deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and was later pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.
Akamani had been a professor in the university’s Department of Forestry, teaching courses on forest recreation and conservation social science. His academic career began at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, where he earned a BSc in Development Planning with a focus on Urban Planning. He later completed an MPhil at the University of Oslo’s Centre for Development and the Environment and a PhD in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation into the shooting. Authorities say that Akamani’s 35‑year‑old wife, Betty Akamani, has been arrested and faces multiple charges. The case is still in its early stages, and the sheriff’s office has not released further details. The Jackson County Ambulance Service, Coroner’s Office and State Attorney’s Office are assisting with the probe.
Akamani had spent six months in Ghana during his doctoral studies researching collaborative forest management in the Ashanti Region. His death has shocked the academic community in both Ghana and the United States.
Investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the case remains under active review.
