In the recent deaths of Ghanaians in the United States, Ghana’s Ambassador to the country, His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith has disclosed that five citizens have been killed in separate incidents in 2026 alone, with most of the fatalities involving gun violence.
The Ghanaian Diplomat has expressed “unease over the fatalities” indicating that the frequency of such incidents has prompted the Embassy to formally communicate Ghana’s dissatisfaction to the United States Department of State and seek greater attention to the safety of Ghanaians living in the country.
“We need to make a protest that Ghanaians are unhappy, those who have come to live in America and have been accepted into the United States to work or to live there, need some sort of security in the country as this sort of thing continues.”
His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith
He identified the killing of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong in the Bronx; the death of Ghanaian PhD student Diamond Akpene Tetteh in Savannah, Georgia; the recent death of the 24 year old, Joseph Owusu in Bronx; Lartey Solomon, a registered nurse in Oakland, California and the fatal shooting of Assistant Professor, Dr Kofi Akamani as among the incidents that have come to the Embassy’s attention.
His Excellency Smith indicated that the Embassy generally becomes aware of deaths when relatives or relevant authorities notify the mission, after which consular officers liaise with the affected families and provide the necessary assistance. Nevertheless, he believes the repeated fatalities warrant a formal expression of Ghana’s displeasure, even though the incidents occurred within the jurisdiction of the United States.
The Ambassador also cautioned Ghanaians to “exercise care when choosing where to live and the environments in which they move” particularly in neighbourhoods associated with street violence. While acknowledging that accommodation choices are often constrained by income, he observed that personal safety should remain an important consideration for citizens settling abroad.
In addition, the Ghanaian Diplomat pointed to bullying, discrimination and hostility towards foreigners as troubling features of some experiences reported by Ghanaian families.
Ambassador Smith also expressed disquiet over the possibility that racial prejudice could influence how some young people treat African immigrants. He cautioned that discrimination may persist even among people of colour, particularly where foreign-born students are treated as “inferior because of their accents or perceived outsider status.”
The Ambassador believes Ghana must strengthen its domestic economy and create viable opportunities to reduce the pressure on citizens to seek better lives abroad. He has therefore been encouraging diaspora professionals and entrepreneurs to partner with investors in agriculture, manufacturing and mining to generate employment at home.
Ambassador Smith Demands Answers Over Joseph Owusu’s Killing
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith called for a thorough investigation into the killing of 24-year-old Ghanaian national Joseph Owusu, whose body was discovered in a refuse dump in the Bronx, New York.
The Ghanaian Diplomat has indicated that the circumstances surrounding the young man’s death remain unclear, with US authorities yet to identify those responsible or establish the motive. He is consequently awaiting further information from the New York Police Department as the Ghanaian mission seeks clarity on the case.
“The first instance is to arrest those who were seen in the video, if they could be seen, either the car number or something, and then from there they probably tell us why the young man has died.”
His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith
Ambassador Smith explained that information received from Ghana’s Consulate General in New York largely corresponds with details already circulating publicly. He confirmed that Owusu was reported missing before his body was discovered, although the mission has not received a definitive account of how he died or who was responsible.
The discovery follows the circulation of CCTV footage reportedly showing two men depositing a body by the roadside. A scrap dealer subsequently found the body bag at a refuse dump and reported the discovery to the police, providing investigators with another possible avenue for establishing the circumstances surrounding the death.
The Ambassador also cautioned against speculation about the motive, particularly as the investigation remains ongoing. Although Owusu was reportedly a person of faith who played the organ at his church, the Ghanaian Diplomat insisted that such details could not establish the circumstances that led to his death.
Beyond the immediate investigation, Ambassador Smith has urged the relevant US authorities to provide Ghana with verified information about the killing. He disclosed that he has written to the US Department of State, the diplomatic institution with which the Ghanaian mission engages, to communicate the country’s disquiet over the incident, remarking that “we want to have the facts: who killed this young man, and why?”
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