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Interior Minister assures Parliament of measures to avert drowning at Lawra
The Minister of the Interior Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka has assured Parliament that several measures have been put in place to avert future drowning of residents at Lawra Dikpe-Road in the Upper West Region.
According to the Minister, the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), through coordinated efforts with all relevant agencies, have put in place measures which include, regular sensitisation of canoe owners or operators and residents along the Black Volta Basin, sensitization of students and identifiable bodies on maritime safety, Ghana Maritime Authority providing life jackets to canoe operators along the river, the Ghana Maritime Authority to conduct regular monitoring of canoe operators to ensure safety on the river, ensure all canoes are regularly maintained and lastly provide psychosocial assistance to students of the Lawra Senior High School, especially to the three survivors.
The Minister gave this assurance when he appeared before the House to brief them on the drowning of seven students of Lawra Senior High School on 2nd July 2025.
Giving account on the unfortunate incident to Parliament, he told the House that on Saturday June 14, 2025 at around 09:13 hours, the Headmaster of Lawra Senior High School, Mr. Primus Bero, reported to the Lawra Police Command on telephone that the Lawra SHS School Cadet comprising sixteen (16) students led by the Cadet leader went on a jogging along the Lawra-Dikpe Road.
He said the Cadet leader later called to inform him (Headmaster) that on reaching the Dikpe river (Black Volta), ten (10) of the students in the process of crossing the river with a canoe being paddled by a young man they encountered to cross to the Burkina Faso side of the river capsized midstream leading to the drowning of seven students with only three surviving.
He indicated that the police team led by the District Commander immediately proceeded to the scene and joined the Dipke Community in organizing a search party under the leadership of the Chief of Dikpe.
He indicated that the search party managed to recover the bodies of the students and subsequently released them to their families for burial.
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
