Oti Region: Interior Minister renews curfew in Nkwanta

The Minister for the Interior, acting on the advice of the Oti Regional Security Council and by Executive Instrument, has renewed the Curfew hours for Nkwanta Township and its environs in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am, effective Thursday, September 4, 2025.

The government persists in urging Chiefs, Opinion Leaders, Youth, and the people of the area to exercise restraint in the face of the prevailing challenges and to employ non-violent means to direct their energies toward ensuring peace in the area.

In the interim, a total ban has been enforced on all individuals residing in the Nkwanta Township and its environs in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, prohibiting the carrying of arms, ammunition, or any offensive weapons.

Any persons found with arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted.

Francis Ahovi, a security expert and Executive Secretary of the Global Security for Africa Research and Good Governance (GLOSARGG), has described the ongoing violence in the Nkwanta enclave within the Oti region as a national security emergency requiring immediate and coordinated intervention.

According to him, the recent clashes in the area reflect “deep-rooted” ethnic tensions, structural insecurity, and a failure of local peacebuilding systems.

Mr Ahovi noted that the violence is not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of Ghana’s inadequate peripheral security governance.

He highlighted unresolved chieftaincy disputes, land ownership disagreements, and political neglect as key causes of the recurring conflict in the region. He criticized the perceived absence or partiality of the state, which he stated has created an environment conducive to militia formation and reprisal attacks.

He lamented the lack of timely humanitarian corridors and the slow response in providing food, medical care, and emergency shelter.