The Ghana Police Service has arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of Innocentia Atsufui Avinu, the University of Cape Coast (UCC) student whose death sparked widespread concern after she was reported missing and later found dead.
In a statement issued on June 16, 2026, the police announced that 39-year-old Michael Mensah was arrested on June 15, 2026, following what they described as sustained intelligence-led operations.
According to the statement, the suspect was apprehended by the Inspector-General of Police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team at about 7:15 p.m. at Pedu Lorry Station in Cape Coast.
“The Ghana Police Service has arrested suspect Michael Mensah, aged 39, for the murder of Innocentia Atsufui Avinu. The suspect was arrested by the IGP’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team on June 15, 2026, at about 1915 hours at the Pedu Lorry Station, Cape Coast, following sustained intelligence-led operations,” the statement said.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Mensah, who claims to be a teacher but also works as a driver, was the last known person to be with the deceased before her disappearance.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that on June 11, 2026, at about 1848 hours, the suspect, who claims to be a teacher by profession but also works as a driver, picked the deceased up from Ayensu Plaza within the University of Cape Coast hostel enclave and took her to Hutchland Beach, where she was last seen,” the police added.
The Ghana Police Service noted that investigations are ongoing and assured the public that further updates would be communicated as the case progresses.
Innocentia Atsufui Avinu, a 20-year-old Level 200 student at the University of Cape Coast, was reported missing on June 11, 2026, after she was last seen leaving the Ayensu Plaza Hostel on campus.
Her family subsequently launched a search and appealed to the public for information on her whereabouts.
The search ended in tragedy when her body was discovered on June 12, 2026, at Hutchland Beach Resort near the university.
The case attracted national attention, prompting the deployment of a special investigative team by the Inspector-General of Police to support ongoing investigations in the Central Region.
Police say efforts are continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
