BY Issah Olegor
The sexual abuse scandal involving the suspended headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Zakaria Abdulai, has intensified public outrage following reports that as many as 19 female students have made allegations of sexual misconduct against him, while a complainant in a specific police case alleged that she was given GH¢100 after being raped to keep quiet.
The controversy has triggered questions about the response of the police, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly after complaints were reportedly brought to education authorities before the case attracted national attention.
The allegations have become a major national issue following investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s documentary, Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, which examined claims of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students at the school.
The report also raised concerns about how earlier complaints were handled and whether the systems responsible for protecting students responded adequately to warnings about the headmaster’s alleged miconduct.
Police Cautioned Statement
In an interview with radio presenter Blakk Rasta, published by Adomonline on October 22, 2026, Abdulai spoke publicly about the rape allegation involving a female student and disclosed that the police had cautioned him after the complainant and her parents reported the matter.
He said he had been granted self-recognisance bail and was waiting for the court proceedings, while insisting that he had his own account of what happened.
“I have been cautioned because one girl and her parents said I have raped her. So, they reported, I was cautioned, and as a headmaster I was given self-recognisance bail. I’m waiting for court days,” he said.
Abdulai also claimed that the complainant was between 20 and 21 years old and had a child. He said the committee that investigated the matter had heard his account as well as that of the student and her relatives.
“I know she’s given birth. She has a child. She’s 20 to 21 years. But I cannot judge her; whether she’s bad or good. I cannot. But I have my story,” he stated.
His comments have added another dimension to the controversy, but his description of the complainant’s age and circumstances does not determine whether the alleged incident occurred.GH¢100 Payment Allegation Fuels Public Anger
According to the police account of the complaint, a 20-year-old Form Two student reported an alleged rape to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Obuasi on August 4, 2026, accompanied by her father.
The student alleged that the incident occurred on July 25, 2026, after she went to retrieve dresses she had left drying near Abdulai’s official residence on the school campus. She claimed that the headmaster asked her to enter the residence on an errand before allegedly touching her against her wishes and dragging her into his bedroom, where the alleged rape occurred.
The complainant further alleged that Abdulai gave her GH¢100 afterwards and warned her to remain silent about the incident.
The alleged payment has become one of the most disturbing aspects of the case, with public discussion focusing on whether a person in a position of authority could have used money to discourage a student from reporting sexual abuse.
Police Confirm Arrest As Public Demands Answers
The controversy over whether Abdulai had been arrested intensified after public criticism of what many considered a slow response to the allegations. The absence of publicly available images or footage showing him in police custody contributed to scepticism among sections of the public, particularly on social media.
However, Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak disclosed to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on October 20 that Abdulai had been arrested and was undergoing the legal process. Abdulai subsequently confirmed in his interview with Blakk Rasta that the police had cautioned him and granted him self-recognisance bail.
The two developments indicate that the matter has moved beyond public calls for an arrest, although the precise details of the arrest, custody arrangements and bail process have not all been publicly explained in the information available.
Public scepticism has persisted because of concerns about the handling of earlier complaints, the influence of political affiliations and the perception that powerful individuals sometimes receive different treatment from ordinary citizens. Some members of the public have questioned why the police have not released visual evidence of the arrest, while others have demanded clearer updates on the investigation.
Such concerns have contributed to the trending nature of the case, but the absence of photographs or videos does not by itself prove that the police have failed to act.
DNA Test
The Interior Minister has also indicated that investigators are working to obtain the necessary court orders for the collection of DNA samples in accordance with the law. The forensic process is expected to support the investigation, although the outcome of any tests and their relevance to particular allegations have not been publicly established.
Police Forward Case Docket to Attorney-General
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command, through DOVVSU, announced on October 16 that the case docket relating to the complaint lodged on August 4 had been forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General for study and advice.
The police said investigators had undertaken procedures including a medical examination, reconstruction of the scene, photography and the collection of witness statements before submitting the docket.
Police have clarified that the docket concerns the individual complaint already processed, while allegations involving other students would require their own investigative steps. This distinction is significant given reports that as many as 19 female students have made allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment or rape.
Earlier Complaints Raise Questions About Education Authorities
The scandal has drawn further scrutiny because reports of complaints involving female students allegedly reached school and education authorities before the controversy became a national story.
The JoyNews investigation examined claims that concerns had been raised internally and that students and others had sought assistance from people responsible for supervising the school. The reports have prompted questions about whether the relevant authorities acted promptly, documented the complaints appropriately and referred suspected criminal conduct to the police.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has also raised concerns about the treatment of teachers who allegedly attempted to speak out about the situation.
The Ministry of Education and GES have already taken administrative action. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu directed the suspension of Abdulai pending investigations and called for a criminal inquiry by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
GES later ordered the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside while investigations continued. They were directed to hand over their offices and state property to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director, Thomas Kwame Boateng.
GES stated that Abdulai remained interdicted and urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that he had been cleared.
NDC Faces Criticism Over Its Handling of Abdulai
The scandal has also placed the NDC under pressure because Abdulai previously served as the party’s Juaben Constituency Secretary and had sought to contest the constituency chairmanship election.
On October 19, the party’s Functional Executive Committee initially allowed him to contest after he appeared before the committee and presented his side of the matter. The party said the decision reflected fairness, natural justice and the presumption of innocence.
The NDC subsequently reversed course. In a statement dated October 20, the Functional Executive Committee directed Abdulai to step aside in the interest of transparency and accountability while the CID investigation proceeded.
The directive, signed by General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, instructed the Ashanti Regional Election Committee and the Juaben Constituency Election Committee to take the necessary action.
The party maintained that the decision was not a determination of Abdulai’s guilt and that he remained entitled to the presumption of innocence.
The NDC’s handling of the matter has become a significant part of the public discussion, with critics demanding that political considerations should not take precedence over safeguarding students or ensuring accountability. The party’s eventual decision to ask Abdulai to step aside has not ended questions about its initial position.
NETRIGHT, CDD-Ghana and NAGRAT Demand Accountability
Civil society organisations and teacher unions have called for a thorough investigation and meaningful accountability in the Obuasi SHTS scandal.
The Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) has demanded prosecution where the evidence supports criminal charges and called for clear guidelines to prevent school authorities from using students as domestic workers in their homes.
The organisation has also urged GES to publish a report on its handling of the matter. The Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) has raised concerns about the NDC’s initial decision to allow Abdulai to contest its constituency chairmanship election and called on the party to prevent the controversy from undermining confidence in accountability processes.
NAGRAT has also drawn attention to concerns about the school’s internal environment and the treatment of teachers who allegedly attempted to raise the alarm.
