The Oti Regional Minister, Joshua Mukubu has said that two more people have been confirmed dead in the Nkwanta shooting on Tuesday.

This brings the number of deaths to eight so far after a fresh shooting incident at Nkwanta South, where armed assailants opened fire on residents at the Nkwanta Central Market early Tuesday morning.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Newsnight on Tuesday, November 21, he said “When we spoke in the afternoon, the number was six but this evening, my police commander after going round to convey the bodies said the number stands at eight.”

Also read: https://www.myjoyonline.com/6-reported-dead-in-a-shooting-incident-at-nkwanta/

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has imposed a curfew on the Nkwanta township. The curfew, as announced in a press release, took effect on Tuesday from 5:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Commenting on the imposed curfew, Mr Mukubu noted that there are enough security personnel in the Nkwanta township to be deployed to enforce the curfew.

Read also: https://www.myjoyonline.com/nkwanta-shooting-curfew-imposed-following-death-of-6/

Asked how long the curfew is intended to be in place, he stated that it would mainly depend on a review of the situation.

He said that the Regional Security Council intends to hold a conversation for a peace talk, adding that “If the conversations are positive, and the results begin to show, then, it can make us call off the curfew.”

The Oti region has witnessed tribal conflicts involving the Adele, Challa, and Akyode ethnic groups over land litigation issues.

However, in recent times contention over a Yam Festival being organized by the Akyode people in the Nkwanta town has led to fresh confrontations.

Despite attempts by the Oti Regional Security Council to resolve the issue, skirmishes have continued to plague the town.

According to the Oti Regional Minister, the Oti Regional Security Council has deployed personnel to investigate and establish the trigger for this new attack.

He added that the REGSEC has also consulted chiefs and other opinion leaders in the area to urge residents to put down their guns and restore peace.