Son With Mental Illness Allegedly Hacks Father to Death on Bono Region Farm

Residents of Benkasa in the Berekum West District of the Bono Region are in a state of shock after a 70-year-old farmer was allegedly killed by his own son on their family farm last Friday, 26th June 2026.

The suspect, Johnson Kwaku Amankona, aged 40, is said to have accompanied his father, Atta Jacob, to the farm but returned home alone, immediately raising alarm among family members and neighbours. Farmers working on adjacent plots reported hearing the elderly man cry out for help before they discovered his lifeless body with several cutlass wounds, lying in a pool of blood.

Neighbours told reporters that Johnson had been battling mental health challenges for a considerable period and had grown noticeably more aggressive in recent times. Despite his condition, he was a regular companion to his father during farm work, which had not previously resulted in any serious incident.

A local resident, Mr Kwaku Gyan, confirmed that it was Johnson's solitary return from the farm that first triggered concern within the community, before news of the killing broke.

The body of Atta Jacob has been deposited at the Berekum Holy Family Hospital for preservation and a formal autopsy. Police have confirmed that Johnson Kwaku Amankona is currently in custody whilst investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding his father's death.

The tragedy has reignited discussions around mental health care and support systems for families in rural Ghanaian communities, where access to psychiatric services remains severely limited.