Mentally Ill Man Allegedly Kills Father With Cutlass on Bono Region Farm

Residents of Benkasa, a community in the Berekum West District of the Bono Region, have been left in shock following the alleged killing of a 70-year-old farmer by his own son. The incident reportedly took place on Friday, 26th June 2026, when a 40-year-old mentally impaired man, identified as Johnson Kwaku Amankona, accompanied his father, Atta Jacob, to the farm — and returned alone.

According to the Ghana News Agency, neighbours grew suspicious when Amankona came back home without his father. Shortly before that, nearby farmers who shared boundary plots with the deceased said they heard him crying out for help. Upon rushing to the scene, they found Atta Jacob's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood, bearing multiple cutlass wounds.

A resident, Mr Kwaku Gyan, told the GNA that the return of the suspect without his father immediately raised alarm among the community. Neighbours also disclosed that Amankona had been showing increasing signs of aggression in recent times, though he had regularly been going to the farm with his father despite his known mental health condition.

The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Berekum Holy Family Hospital for preservation and an autopsy. Police have confirmed that Amankona is currently in custody, and investigations into the matter are ongoing.

The tragic incident has renewed concerns in rural communities about the risks faced by families caring for relatives with untreated mental illness, and the urgent need for accessible mental health support across Ghana's regions.