Kpalwega Community Performs Traditional Cleansing at Bawku SHS After Tragic Student Killing
The Kpalwega community in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region has held a traditional blood cleansing ceremony at the Bawku Senior High School (BAWSEC) in the wake of the tragic killing of a final-year student, Mohammed Imoro Kundima.
The 18-year-old student was shot and killed by unknown armed men on Saturday, July 26, 2025, in an incident widely linked to the protracted chieftaincy conflict in the Bawku area. His death has intensified concerns about the safety of students and staff in conflict-prone communities.
In an effort to restore calm and spiritual protection, traditional authorities led by the Tengdana of Kpalwega, Akubilla Azubilla, performed a sacred sacrificial ritual on the school grounds. The cleansing rites included the slaughtering of a red cock and a red goat, as well as the burial of an okro stick—a symbolic act in local tradition meant to appease the gods and expel evil forces from the area.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Tengdana explained the significance of the ritual. “This sacrifice is to seek protection for the students and to ensure that such a tragic act does not happen again within the school premises,” he said.
Bawku Senior High School, located within the Kpalwega community, has found itself on the front lines of the recurring violence. School authorities and parents alike have expressed anxiety about the safety of students, particularly with the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fast approaching.
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Rev. Abugbilla Bukari, the headmaster of BAWSEC, appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the government to implement immediate interventions that would allow students to stay safely on campus and complete their exams without disruption.
“We should go to bed knowing that our children are safe in schools,” Rev. Bukari said. “We have done a lot of stakeholder engagement, and with the support of government and GES, we will be able to go through this WASSCE successfully.”
Echoing the headmaster’s plea, the Assembly Member for the Kpalwega Electoral Area, Mr. Elvis Agooma, reassured students and parents of the community’s commitment to their security.
“We will make sure we provide security to protect the students so that such a thing will not happen again,” he said.
The ceremony and the renewed calls for government support come amid broader efforts to maintain stability in Bawku and prevent further bloodshed from spilling into educational institutions.
As the region continues to grapple with the effects of the chieftaincy conflict, local leaders, educators, and community members are rallying together to protect one of the most vulnerable groups—the children—in hopes that education may continue uninterrupted in spite of the tensions.
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