Bolgatanga Girls SHS Debordinizes 14-Year-Old Student After Alleged Sexual Abuse by Two School Watchmen
BOLGATANGA, UPPER EAST REGION — August 19, 2026: Management of the Bolgatanga Girls’ Senior High School (BOGISS) has debordinized a 14-year-old female student, converting her from a boarding student to a day student, following allegations that two security watchmen at the school sexually abused her.
The development has sparked controversy, with the student’s family questioning the decision to withdraw her boarding status while the two security personnel accused in the case face investigations.
The matter was first brought to the attention of school authorities after the student reported that one of the security personnel had engaged in sexual contact with her. According to the school’s headmistress, Gifty Ayamba, the student initially reported the involvement of one watchman but later disclosed that a second security man was also involved.
Allegations involve four separate incidents
According to information gathered from sources familiar with the case, the alleged incidents occurred between late June and early July 2026 on the school’s premises.
The first alleged incident reportedly occurred at night after the school’s supervised evening study, popularly known as prep, had ended. The student was allegedly approached by one of the watchmen while returning to her dormitory.
Sources cited in reports on the matter said the watchman allegedly took the student to an isolated area near the school’s dining hall, where the alleged sexual abuse occurred.
A few days later, the second watchman was allegedly involved in another incident at dawn at the school’s security post.
Reports indicate that the student had gone to the security post to retrieve a tablet she had left there to charge.
Two additional alleged incidents were subsequently reported in early July, bringing the total number of alleged incidents to four.
The two watchmen have not been publicly identified.
School confirms the case
The school’s headmistress, Gifty Ayamba, has confirmed that the matter occurred and that it was reported to the relevant education authorities and the police.
According to her account, the student reported the matter to the Dean of Discipline and was subsequently given a statement form. During the process, she disclosed that another watchman was allegedly involved.
The headmistress said the school’s disciplinary process was initiated and that the matter was subsequently referred to the Bolgatanga Municipal Education Directorate, the Upper East Regional Education Directorate and the police.
Why was the student debordinized?
The decision to convert the student from a boarder to a day student is at the centre of the controversy.
The headmistress explained that the school’s disciplinary committee considered the circumstances surrounding the case and recommended that the student should remain in school as a day student rather than be dismissed.
She said the decision was influenced by findings concerning the relationship between the student and the security personnel, including allegations that the watchmen had been giving her food and money.
The school also cited concerns about the student’s welfare and the need for prescribed medication to be administered consistently. According to the headmistress, moving her to day status would allow her family to ensure that she received the necessary care while continuing her education.
The student is reportedly performing well academically.
Family challenges school’s decision
The student’s family, however, strongly disagrees with the decision to remove her from boarding.
A family member, Akolbulgo-Zotipelba Ayeo-Duko, confirmed the allegations and criticised the school’s handling of the matter.
The family believes the girl should not lose her boarding status because of an incident allegedly involving adult security personnel working within the school.
The family has also raised concerns about the way the school described the matter in correspondence sent to them.
According to reports, a letter from the school referred to the student as being “guilty of sexual misconduct” under the Ghana Education Service’s code of conduct.
The family considers that characterisation unfair, arguing that the student is a 14-year-old minor and that the allegations concern adult security personnel who were supposed to be responsible for protecting students.
Police investigation and arrest of watchmen
The allegations have also been reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.
DOVVSU confirmed that the case had been reported and that efforts were underway to apprehend the two watchmen.
A subsequent report published on August 19 indicates that the two BOGISS watchmen have since been arrested following the media reports and investigation into the allegations.
The allegations against the men remain subject to the criminal justice process, and their arrest should not be treated as a conviction. Their identities have also not been publicly disclosed.
Serious child-protection concerns
The case has raised broader questions about student safety and supervision in boarding schools.
The alleged incidents reportedly occurred on school premises and involved security personnel employed to provide security within the institution. This makes the matter particularly serious because parents place their children under the care and supervision of schools with the expectation that they will be protected.
The case also raises questions about whether adequate safeguards were in place to prevent students from having inappropriate or unsupervised interactions with security personnel.
At the same time, the circumstances surrounding the student’s own conduct must be handled carefully because she is a minor and an alleged victim of sexual abuse.
Any disciplinary or administrative decision affecting her education should therefore be assessed primarily through the lens of her safety, welfare, education and protection from further harm.
The tablet-charging issue
Another issue that has emerged in the case concerns where students were allowed to charge their government-issued tablets.
Reports indicate that the student had taken her tablet to the security post to charge it before the second alleged incident.
Sources claimed that students had been contributing money towards classroom charging facilities, while the school maintained that arrangements had been made to provide charging points and that students had been restricted from entering certain staff areas after school hours.
The school’s explanation is that the charging arrangements were part of efforts to provide students with designated places to charge their devices.
What happens next?
The central issues now before the authorities are to establish exactly what happened, determine the circumstances under which the student came into contact with the two security personnel and determine whether any criminal offences were committed.
The police investigation should also establish whether there were breaches of school security protocols and whether other individuals may have information relevant to the case.
The student’s identity should remain protected because she is a minor.
The case has consequently moved beyond an ordinary school disciplinary matter and into the areas of child protection, sexual abuse, institutional responsibility and criminal investigation.
BOGISS, popularly known as “The Lily of the North,” is a girls’ senior high school in Bolgatanga in Ghana’s Upper East Region. The school was established in 1956.
The key fact is that the student was not simply “dismissed” from school. She was debordinized — her boarding status was withdrawn and she was converted to a day student — while the two security watchmen accused of sexually abusing her were referred to the relevant authorities and, according to the latest report, subsequently arrested.
Because the matter remains subject to investigation and due process, allegations against the two watchmen should be described as allegations until a court establishes their guilt.
Leave a Reply