Nineteen female students have now accused Zakaria Abdulai, the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) in Ghana's Ashanti Region, of sexual abuse — and the case has exploded into a national controversy. Abdulai has been arrested, Ghana's ruling party cleared him to contest a party election and then backed down, and a party communicator's live-TV dismissal of the allegations has drawn fierce public backlash.
The allegations: 19 students, one documentary
The scandal broke open through JoyNews investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, whose documentary HOTLINE: Inside the Dreaded Headmaster's Bungalow examines claims that Abdulai lured female students to his bungalow, where he allegedly raped them, forced them to perform sexual acts, and threatened to kill or silence them if they reported it. Five girls first spoke to Awuni's team; the number has since grown to 19.
Awuni's team found that complaints reached school management and education authorities months before any action was taken. In February 2026 the school's Girl Child Coordinator petitioned management; in March, five girls took written reports to the municipal education director — yet nothing was looked into. On August 5, students rampaged across the campus and beat up the headmaster after accusing him of burying a baby on campus.
He was only suspended after the documentary aired. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu ordered Abdulai's interdiction on October 13 and petitioned the Police CID to probe the matter. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak told Parliament that Abdulai has been arrested and that police are seeking a court order to take his DNA. The case docket is now with the Attorney General's office. Abdulai maintains he is innocent and says he will pursue "all lawful avenues to clear my name."
The political firestorm: NDC clears him — then backs down
Abdulai is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) secretary in the Juaben Constituency and was contesting to become the party's chairman. The ruling party first told him to withdraw; on October 19, Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande confirmed the party reversed that directive and cleared him to run while investigations continue.
The reversal drew sharp condemnation: IMANI Africa's Selorm Branttie called it "very distasteful," saying "any decent person would have resigned," while CDD-Ghana's Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh called the handling "despicable." The Network for Women's Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) demanded his prosecution. On Tuesday, amid the mounting backlash, the party asked him to step aside again — and he resigned his party position the same day.
"Which man hasn't raped a lady before?" — the remark that ignited outrage
The controversy deepened after Daniel Nortey, the NDC's communications officer for Amasaman, appeared on Amansan TV to discuss the scandal. According to ghanaweb news reporting, Nortey questioned why Abdulai faced such intense criticism, remarked that rape was not a new phenomenon, and asked whether this was the first time anyone had been accused — before turning to a fellow panelist to ask whether he too had "raped someone before." News platform Ghana Today published a quote card attributing to Nortey the words: "Which man hasn't raped a lady before?" The remarks circulated widely online and drew fierce backlash, with many Ghanaians calling them an insult to the alleged victims. The teachers' union NAGRAT has also claimed that 38 teachers were asked to leave the school after speaking against the headmaster.
What happens next
The Attorney General's office now holds the decision on prosecution, with no timeline announced. Gender Minister Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey has promised medical screening and psychosocial support for the affected students. Meanwhile, Ghanaian women have declared today "Red Wednesday," asking people to wear red and speak out against sexual abuse — with actress Lydia Forson writing that "the children deserve to be heard and protected while the allegations are investigated."
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Movement Proposition (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- Adomonline: Hotline Documentary — Inside the Dreaded Headmaster's Bungalow
- Bra Perucci: Ghana has a sexual abuse problem, and we are quiet
- Modern Ghana: 'Very distasteful' — Selorm Branttie blasts NDC over Obuasi SHTS headmaster
- OnuaOnline: NDC makes U-turn on Obuasi SHTS headmaster's chairmanship bid
- Chale News: NDC man's 'He's a rapist, so what?' remark sparks outrage
- MyJoyOnline: Safeguarding lead questions Obuasi SHTS response