The Odambia Festival in Mankessim, Central Region, took a tragic turn on October 25, 2025, as Acting Gyaasehen Nana Ato Gyinam allegedly shot and killed 45-year-old Kwesi Melchior during a public altercation. Witnesses reported that the acting chief of the Nkusukum Traditional Area had previously warned Melchior, a member of a rival faction, to stay away from the festival.
Eyewitnesses described a heated exchange before the fatal shot was fired, as the chief reportedly saw Melchior with the festival group, allegedly carrying a weapon. Family members of the deceased have since called for swift justice, with Melchior’s sister pointing to long-standing chieftaincy tensions in the area as the underlying cause of the violence.
The Assembly Member for the New Nkusukum Electoral Area condemned the incident, highlighting ongoing unrest tied to the unresolved chieftaincy issues within the Nkusukum Traditional Area. The body of the deceased has been moved to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Mortuary, and Nana Ato Gyinam is currently in police custody, assisting with investigations at the Mankessim Jedu Divisional Police Command.