Police arrest 39-year-old man over murder of UCC student

The Ghana Police Service has arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with the murder of a University of Cape Coast (UCC) student whose body was discovered at a beach in Cape Coast days after she was reported missing.

The suspect, identified as Michael Mensah, was arrested on Monday, June 15, at the Pedu Lorry Station in Cape Coast following what police described as sustained intelligence-led operations.

The deceased, Innocentia Atsufui Avinu, was a Level 200 Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resource) student at UCC.

The arrest comes days after the 20-year-old student went missing on June 11 and was later found dead at Hutchland Beach near Duakor in Cape Coast, prompting investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 16, the Police said, “The suspect was arrested by the IGP’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team on 15th June 2026 at about 1915 hours at the Pedu Lorry Station, Cape-Coast, following sustained intelligence-led operations.”

According to the Police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, who claims to be a teacher but also works as a driver, “picked the deceased from Ayensu Plaza within the University of Cape Coast (UCC) hostel enclave and took her to Hutchland Beach, where she was last seen.”

Information from the deceased's hostel roommate indicated that Innocentia received a phone call and left their private hostel at Amamoma around 7pm on June 11.

Concern grew among her colleagues when she failed to return, leading to unsuccessful efforts to trace her whereabouts.

Her body was discovered about 12 hours later after residents of the Duakor community alerted police that a body had washed ashore along the beach.

A preliminary police report noted that officers who examined the body at the scene observed no visible signs of physical injury.

Police say investigations are ongoing and further updates will be communicated as the case progresses.