Accra, Ghana, October 23, 2026: Suspended Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) headmaster Zakaria Abdulai has said the woman who accused him of rape is between 20 and 21 years old and has a child.
Mr Abdulai made the comments in an interview with radio presenter Blakk Rasta while responding to reports of alleged sexual abuse involving female students at the school.
“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 said.
He also said he had been cautioned by the police following the complaint and had been granted self-recognisance bail. He said he was awaiting court proceedings.
“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.
What the police say about the complaint
The comments follow a complaint made by a 20-year-old Form Two student to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Obuasi on August 4, 2026. According to the police account reported by MyJoyOnline, the student was accompanied by her father.
She alleged that the incident occurred on July 25, 2026, after she went to retrieve her dresses from a drying area near the headmaster’s official residence on campus.
The complainant told police that Mr Abdulai allegedly called her into the residence on an errand before sexually assaulting her. She also alleged that he gave her GH¢100 after the incident to keep quiet.
These are allegations and have not been established in court.
The police have forwarded the docket relating to this complaint to the Attorney-General’s Office for study and advice. Authorities have indicated that other reported allegations would require separate investigations.
Earlier complaints raise questions about school safeguards
The case has attracted national attention following a JoyNews investigation by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, which reported allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students at the school.
The investigation also raised questions about how earlier complaints were handled by school and education authorities.
Mr Abdulai has been interdicted by the Ghana Education Service pending investigations. The Education Ministry has also referred the criminal aspects of the allegations to the police.
His comments about the complainant’s age and motherhood do not establish whether the alleged offence occurred. The central issue remains the evidence relating to the complaint and the outcome of the investigation and legal process.
The case has also prompted calls for stronger safeguarding arrangements and confidential reporting systems to ensure students can report alleged abuse safely.
