Miss Innocentia Atsufui Avinu, a 20-year-old , level 200 Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resources) student of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) who went missing last week, has been discovered dead on the beach. Her corpse was found at the Hutchland Beach region, near Duakor, in Cape Coast, about 12 hours after she was last seen by her dormitory roommate.
Per preliminary reports, Innocentia got a phone call, dressed casually, and left the room around 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2026, according to her roommate, with whom she lived at a private hostel in Amamoma, a neighbourhood around the UCC campus.
The reports also indicated that her colleagues were concerned when Innocentia did not return and that attempts were made to find her whereabouts the next day, but they were fruitless.
According to police, residents of the Duakor community reported at 6 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, that a corpse had washed ashore. According to an early police report, officers saw no obvious signs of physical damage when the body was examined at the beach site.
According to a press statement released on Sunday, June 14, 2026, by the Public Affairs Directorate, the University of Cape Coast (UCC) said the police have opened an inquiry as authorities strive to determine the events surrounding the student’s death.
Per ASP Abdul Abubakar, the UCC District Police Commander, the police received a complaint from locals of the Duakor Community at around 6:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, reporting that a body had been swept ashore along the beach.
Upon receiving the knowledge, the police immediately drove to the scene to corroborate the report. After an initial review at the scene, the police noticed no apparent evidence of physical damage. The body was taken to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) mortuary for formal identification and additional investigation.
As part of continuing investigations, police got evidence later that evening indicating the dead person was a UCC student.
In response, the Dean of Students’ Affairs of the University of Cape Coast was notified to help with the identification procedure and associated administrative operations.
When the deceased’s roommate, with whom she lived in a private hostel in Amamoma, a community close to the University of Cape Coast, appeared at the police station with a photograph, the investigation was further supported, which helped to establish the identity as Innocentia Atsufui Avinu.
According to the roommate, the deceased was last seen two days before, around 7:00 p.m., when she got a phone call, dressed casually, and went out of the house. She also stated that colleagues of the deceased grew more concerned as Innocentia failed to return.
Friends and coworkers attempted to find her whereabouts throughout the following day; however, their efforts were unsuccessful. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, the deceased’s relatives went to the police station and were led to the mortuary for identification.
The family verified the dead’s identity, and observations made at the mortuary agreed with the first findings, as no physical wounds were discovered on the body. In light of these new developments, ASP Abdul Abubakar said that the police will get a coroner’s form from the court on Monday, June 15, 2026, to allow for a post-mortem examination which would enable a pathologist to establish the actual cause of death and bring greater clarity to the investigation.
Meanwhile, the police have assured the general public that investigations are ongoing.