Three people have been confirmed dead and four others injured following violent clashes during the Homowo festival in Sowutuom, Accra.
The incident, which erupted on Saturday, was reportedly sparked by a dispute over the sprinkling of Kpokpoi, a central ritual of the Ga traditional celebration.
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According to eyewitnesses, a group from Dwenewoho attempted to perform the ritual in Sowutuom, but the town’s traditional leaders resisted the move, leading to gunfire that lasted nearly 30 minutes.
Videos shared on social media showed victims lying in pools of blood as bystanders rushed the wounded into pickup trucks for medical care. Shops were forced to close, while frightened families fled the area amid the chaos.
Police on Sunday confirmed the deaths of Abubakar Ramadan Sarbah, also known as Nii Kwashiebu; Theophilus Nii Amu Kwadjan; and Joseph Shaibu Dodoo. The injured, identified as Enoch Amevor, Samuel Adjei, Nathaniel Doku, and Frederick Lartey (Nii Obrafour), were taken to medical facilities, including Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Ridge Hospital.
By Sunday morning, Sowutuom remained under heavy police patrol, with many businesses still shut as residents expressed fear of renewed violence.
The Homowo festival, an annual Ga celebration marking triumph over famine and thanksgiving for harvest, has been marred this year by violent disputes in both Sowutuom and Teshie, where two additional fatalities were recorded.