A food vendor has been killed in a fresh outbreak of violence in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, deepening concerns over a conflict that has claimed multiple lives this year despite repeated security interventions and peace accords.
Richmond Benye, 28, was shot by unidentified gunmen on Saturday evening, May 2, 2026, while going about his daily activities in the community where he was well known for his food vending business. He leaves behind a wife and a young child. No arrests have been made and the motive behind the attack remains under investigation.
The killing marks the latest episode in a protracted dispute among three ethnic communities in the area — the Adele, Akyode and Challa — rooted in long-standing tensions over land boundaries. The conflict has escalated sharply in 2026. In March, five people were killed in a fresh wave of violence that shattered a 13-point peace declaration signed just weeks earlier, prompting the Inspector-General of Police to deploy armoured vehicles and officers from the National Police Operations Unit to the municipality.
Security agencies have since maintained a heightened presence in Nkwanta South, with increased patrols and checkpoints established to deter further attacks. Authorities have urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and cooperate with ongoing investigations.
The National Peace Council, which facilitated dialogue between the conflicting parties in early March, condemned the renewed violence at the time as both troubling and unexpected. Security analysts have called for proactive intelligence-led action and the prosecution of those responsible for instigating the cycle of retaliation.
