The Ministry of Education has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Innocentia Avinu, a Level 200 student of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), whose body was discovered at a beach near the institution after she had been reported missing for several days. In a statement signed by Hashmin Mohammed, Press Secretary to the Minister for Education, the Ministry confirmed it had received the news “with deep sadness” and extended its condolences to the bereaved family, friends and the wider UCC community.
The statement, dated June 14, 2026, and issued under the heading “For Immediate Release,” indicated that the Honourable Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed UCC authorities to work closely with the Ghana Police Service to launch a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the young woman’s death. The Ministry also appealed to members of the public to allow the investigative process to run its course without interference, stressing the importance of letting trained officials carry out their work undisturbed.
A Disappearance That Gripped the Campus
Innocentia Avinu, a 20-year-old pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a focus on Human Resource Management, had been a familiar face within her department before she vanished earlier in the week. According to information that circulated among students and was later picked up by several news outlets, she was last seen on June 11, 2026, at the Ayensu Plaza Hostel on the UCC campus, where she resided. She was reportedly dressed in a black outfit at the time she was last spotted, a detail that her family and friends later shared widely as part of efforts to help locate her.
When she failed to return and could not be reached, concern quickly spread among her peers and relatives. Her family launched a search for her, reaching out to the university community, local authorities and the wider public for any information about her whereabouts. Calls for help and descriptions of her appearance were shared across social media platforms in the hope that someone might have seen her or know where she had gone.
Body Discovered at Beach Near University
The search for Innocentia ended in tragedy over the weekend when her body was found along the shoreline near the university’s coastal area, in the vicinity of a beach resort close to the campus. Multiple reports indicate that the discovery was made on either June 12 or June 13, 2026, with some accounts placing the location at a beach resort near the university and others describing it more generally as the university’s coastal beach area.
According to a cousin of the deceased, Eric-Sylvera Kwadzogah Avorgbedor, who spoke to journalists shortly after the discovery, a family member was called to a police station on June 13 to view a photograph of the body before it could be formally identified. Following that initial step, the Dean of Students, alongside police officers and members of the family, proceeded to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital mortuary, where the body was shown to relatives and confirmed to be that of Innocentia Avinu.
Avorgbedor told reporters that, at the time of the viewing, the family did not observe any visible injuries on the body, though he stressed that the true cause of death remained unclear pending further medical examination. He indicated that an autopsy was expected to take place early in the coming week, after which the family hoped to receive clearer answers about what had happened to her in the days before her body was found.
Separately, at least one news outlet reported that the discovery raised additional concerns after suggesting that some parts of the body may have been missing when it was recovered, a claim that has not been independently verified by other sources and which investigators are likely to examine closely as part of their work. Given the conflicting early accounts, officials and family members alike have urged the public to await the outcome of the official investigation and autopsy rather than draw conclusions from unconfirmed reports.
Police and University Response
Officers from the Ghana Police Service, including members of a regional crime scene investigation team, visited the location where the body was found and processed the area for evidence. A police source, identified as Inspector Ettie, confirmed that the case remained under active investigation and that the body had been deposited at the mortuary to await the autopsy that would help establish the cause of death.
The University of Cape Coast has also moved to address the tragedy. Speaking to journalists, the institution’s Acting Director of Public Affairs, Dr Kwabena Antwi-Konadu, said that the university was working closely with the police to ensure that a comprehensive report could be compiled before any official statement was released regarding the full circumstances of the student’s death. This collaborative approach mirrors the directive later issued by the Ministry of Education, which similarly called for close cooperation between the university and the police as the investigation proceeds.
Campus Community in Mourning
News of Innocentia’s death has left the UCC community in a state of shock and grief. Students and members of staff have taken to social media to pay tribute to their colleague, sharing memories and expressing sorrow over the sudden loss of a young woman whose academic journey was cut tragically short. Alongside the outpouring of grief, many within the university community have echoed calls made by the family for a thorough and transparent investigation, with some specifically appealing to the police to ensure that anyone found to be responsible, should foul play be established, is held accountable.
The Ghana Police Service has assured the public that investigations into the matter are ongoing and has appealed to anyone with information that could assist the inquiry to come forward.
Ministry Appeals for Calm as Probe Continues
In its statement, the Ministry of Education emphasised that its primary concern at this stage was supporting a fair and thorough investigative process. By directing UCC authorities to collaborate closely with the police, the Ministry signalled its intention to ensure that the case receives the necessary institutional attention at both the university and national levels.
For now, the cause of Innocentia Avinu’s death remains officially undetermined, pending the results of the autopsy that family members and investigators alike are awaiting. As the Ministry of Education, the university, and the Ghana Police Service continue their work, the tragedy has once again drawn attention to broader questions about student safety, particularly for those living off-campus or visiting areas near university towns, and has reinforced calls within the UCC community for vigilance and support systems that can help prevent similar tragedies in the future.