I Was Almost Killed Three Times: MP Naa Koryoo Recounts Political Violence And Resilience

According to recent reports, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, has opened up about surviving life-threatening violence, arrests, and political intimidation during her political journey through the 2020 and 2024 general elections.

Speaking at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast hosted by Olori Ivie Atuwatse III during the Elevate Africa gathering in Accra on October 27, 2026, the MP shared harrowing details of her struggle. “I was almost killed on three separate occasions. I lost but I didn’t give up,” she revealed.

Naa Koryoo recounted having to wear a heavy bulletproof vest for eight consecutive months while nursing her baby due to severe security threats. She described the intense physical strain it caused, using her experience to encourage other women in politics to persevere despite extreme adversity.

She also addressed her high-profile arrest ahead of the 2024 elections over a licensed firearm found in her vehicle. The MP explained that the detention stemmed from a clerical error during license renewal, where a police officer omitted a letter from her name, causing a discrepancy with her identification. The incident escalated until John Dramani Mahama intervened by holding a national press conference, which preceded her release.

The MP further recounted a deadly 2024 gunpoint ambush on her team that claimed one life and left several supporters with permanent physical disabilities and amputations. “Unfortunately, I lost one person and I have people whose legs and hands are amputated, but Naa Koryoo is still sitting here alive,” she said.

Naa Koryoo concluded her address with a rallying cry for female empowerment, urging aspiring women leaders never to yield to threats, character assassination, or systemic intimidation on their path to public service.

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