Award-winning investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has given details of the investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of female students of Obuasi Senior High Technical School by their headmaster.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews on October 13, 2026, Manasseh said that 14 female students of the school were sexually abused by the school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, over the past year.
The journalist described the situation as particularly disturbing because the alleged incidents were reportedly known to several people and institutions expected to intervene, yet no decisive action appeared to have been taken for an extended period.
“The very disturbing aspect of the case is that it wasn’t really hidden,” he said, explaining that people in Obuasi, including those expected to act on the complaints, were aware of the allegations.
According to him, the situation had escalated over the past year and a half, despite the apparent awareness of stakeholders in the education sector and the political class.
Five girls reported alleged sexual assault in March
Providing further details of the investigation, Manasseh said the Municipal Education Directorate had been aware of complaints against the headmaster, who has now been interdicted.
He disclosed that the Municipal Education Director told him that five girls had reported to the directorate in March 2026, alleging that they had been sexually assaulted by the headmaster.
According to Manasseh, the director said he fell ill at the time, and the investigation into the complaints did not proceed.
The journalist further alleged that another incident occurred in June, while a female student reportedly reported being raped by the same headmaster in July.
These incidents, he said, formed part of a series of complaints that had allegedly been raised over the past year and a half without an adequate response.
Manasseh also said that teachers responsible for girl-child education and safeguarding at the school had written several letters and petitions concerning the alleged abuse.
School’s management knew about the alleged abuse by the headmaster
Manasseh said that his investigation found that awareness of the allegations extended beyond the school to the municipal education authorities and other stakeholders.
He explained that the investigation gathered accounts from people in different positions, including those within the education sector and the political class, suggesting that the concerns were not limited to isolated reports by individual students.
Manasseh also stated that this was not the first time such an incident had occurred, recalling that he investigated a similar incident at the same school in 2018.
He said that case involved a senior housemaster who was accused of misconduct involving a student. According to him, he was later informed that the individual had been dismissed.
The full documentary is set to be released next week.
Watch a video of his remarks below:
