Police have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with the death of University of Cape Coast student, Innocentia Atsufui Avinu, whose body was discovered on a beach in Cape Coast days after she was reported missing.
The suspect, identified as Michael Mensah, is being held over allegations of murder following an intelligence-led operation carried out by the Inspector General of Police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team.
According to police, Mensah was arrested at about 7:15 p.m. on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the Pedu Lorry Station in Cape Coast after investigators tracked him through sustained intelligence gathering.
Preliminary findings suggest that on June 11, 2026, at approximately 6:48 p.m., the suspect, who reportedly works both as a teacher and a driver, picked up the deceased from Ayensu Plaza within the University of Cape Coast hostel enclave. Investigators believe he later transported her to Hutchland Beach, the location where she was last seen alive.
Police say investigations remain ongoing and have assured the public that further updates will be communicated as new developments emerge.
The arrest comes days after the tragic discovery of Innocentia’s body at Hutchland Beach near Duakor in Cape Coast.
The 20-year-old Level 200 Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resource) student had initially been reported missing after she left her hostel on the evening of June 11.
Her roommate, with whom she shared a room at a private hostel in Amamoma, told investigators that Innocentia received a phone call, dressed casually and left the hostel around 7 p.m.
When she failed to return, colleagues and friends became concerned and spent the following day trying unsuccessfully to locate her.
About 12 hours after she was last seen, her body was found washed ashore at the beach, triggering a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Earlier police reports indicated that officers received information from residents of the Duakor community at around 6 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, that a body had been washed onto the shoreline.
Officers immediately proceeded to the scene to verify the report.
A preliminary examination conducted at the beach revealed what police described as “no visible signs of physical injury.”
The body was subsequently transferred to the mortuary at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital pending formal identification and further investigations.
In a statement issued on Sunday, June 14, 2026, the University of Cape Coast’s Public Affairs Directorate confirmed that police had commenced investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
The statement cited the UCC District Police Commander, ASP Abdul Abubakar, who confirmed receiving the report from Duakor residents before officers were dispatched to the beach.
Police later received information suggesting that the deceased was a student of the University of Cape Coast. The Dean of Students’ Affairs was subsequently informed to assist with identification and other administrative processes as investigations progressed.
