Traditional Leaders Perform Cleansing Ritual at Bawku SHS After Student’s Death
Traditional leaders in the Kpalwega community have conducted a spiritual cleansing ritual at Bawku Senior High School (SHS) following the tragic death of a final-year student, Mohammed Imoro Kundima, who was fatally shot on July 26, 2025.
Kundima’s killing occurred amid renewed violence linked to the long-standing chieftaincy conflict in Bawku Municipality, in Ghana’s Upper East Region. The assailants remain unidentified.
In response to the tragedy, elders of the Kpalwega community, led by the community’s spiritual leader (Tengdana), Akubilla Azubilla, organized a traditional purification ceremony on the school’s grounds. The ritual involved the sacrifice of a red cock and a red goat, along with the burial of an okro stick—symbolic acts believed to ward off evil and restore spiritual harmony.
“This sacrifice is for the safety of the children and to make sure such a painful thing does not happen here again,” said Tengdana Azubilla during the ceremony.
The incident has severely disrupted academic activities at Bawku SHS, raising concerns for the safety of students, especially those preparing for final examinations. Headmaster Rev. Abugbilla Bukari has called on the government and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to step in with urgent support to ensure students can remain safely on campus.
Rev. Bukari emphasized that relocating the students could potentially expose them to even greater risks, given the region’s instability.
Elvis Agooma, Assembly Member for the Kpalwega Electoral Area, assured the public of the community’s commitment to protecting the school and upholding peace in the area.
The event has once again highlighted the far-reaching consequences of the Bawku chieftaincy conflict, particularly its impact on schools and the safety of young people in the region.
Source: NEWS1 GH
