Two killed and 14 injured after disturbances at Nchiraa Yam festival in Bono Region

Police say calm has been restored in Nchiraa, a community in the Wenchi Municipality of Ghana’s Bono Region, after disturbances that followed the annual Yam Festival on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Local authorities and regional police units reported that two people were killed and 14 others injured in the incidents that erupted after the festival programme concluded. The Wenchi Divisional Police Command said it had brought the situation under control, and the Bono Regional Police Command provided a timeline indicating the unrest occurred after the event ended.

Sequence and official response

According to the regional police statement reported by Adom Online, the disturbances began once the festival programme had finished. MyJoyOnline and Adom Online both said police moved to restore calm in the area; MyJoyOnline explicitly reported that the Wenchi Divisional Police Command had restored order.

Graphic Online reported that among the 14 people wounded was a police officer. That detail does not appear in the other accounts and is attributed here to Graphic Online.

The reports indicate police involvement in stabilising the situation but do not provide further detail on what sparked the unrest, whether arrests were made, or the identities of the deceased. The outlets reporting on the incident cited police statements and press releases for their information.

Impact and next steps

The violence marred what is normally a cultural celebration. The Yam Festival is an annual event in parts of Ghana, and in Nchiraa the October 3 programme was followed by the unrest that resulted in fatalities and multiple injuries. Media accounts do not yet report on the condition of the injured beyond numbers, nor do they provide information on investigations or statements from local leaders or medical facilities.

Authorities’ swift deployment and public statements that calm had been restored aim to reassure residents, but available reports do not outline measures being taken to prevent further violence or to support victims and affected families.

Further updates will depend on additional statements from police, local government, health services, or community leaders that clarify the causes of the disturbances, casualty details, and any legal action arising from the event.