The family of a 14-year-old student of Abomosu STEM Senior High School in the Eastern Region is calling for a thorough investigation into his death, raising questions about his reported illness, treatment and the condition of his body.
Daniel Boateng Mintah reportedly died on September 30, 2026, barely 12 days after reporting to the school to pursue his dream of becoming a computer engineer.
His father, David Mintah, told JoyNews that the family received a call informing them that Daniel was unwell and needed an injection for suspected malaria. His mother, Joyce Mintah, had spoken to him earlier that day.
Mrs Mintah sent GH¢50 after the caller requested money for the injection. The caller had also asked for Daniel’s health insurance details, she said.
“Repeated attempts to obtain updates on his condition proved unsuccessful. At about 3:10 p.m., another caller, who identified himself as the school’s headmaster, asked us to come urgently,” Mr Mintah said.
The couple set off for the school but received further calls directing them to Kwabeng Hospital, where they were told Daniel had been brought in dead.
According to Mr Mintah, a doctor told them that Daniel had complained of a headache and stomachache before being brought to the hospital.
The doctor reportedly advised them that a post-mortem examination would be needed to establish the cause of death.
Mr Mintah said he found aspects of the explanations provided by the school and hospital inconsistent.
“The following day, we requested that the body be transferred to Tafo. On October 4 and 5, we continued to receive information about its condition.
“My suspicions deepened when I visited Daniel’s body at the mortuary on October 6 and observed blood coming from his nose, ears, mouth and head,” he recounted tearfully.
He said the school had also told the family that Daniel left the orientation area to urinate but did not return.
Mr Mintah urged the police to establish the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.
“If he was murdered, the laws of Ghana must be applied to the letter. If he died a natural death, may his gentle soul rest in peace,” he said.
The family appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to intervene and ensure a thorough investigation.
Mr Mintah also requested that Daniel’s body be transferred from the Tafo mortuary to the Police Hospital in Accra to support further investigations.
He expressed concern that another family could suffer a similar loss if the circumstances remained unresolved.
Mrs Mintah, who accompanied Daniel to school on the day he reported, recalled his determination to study computer science despite his father’s earlier suggestion that he consider another course.
She said Daniel had repeatedly promised to make the family proud.
“Having taken him with me to the market one day, he saw my daily struggles and told me, ‘Mummy, I will surprise you, okay,’” she recalled.
She had looked forward to seeing him develop his interest in computers and planned to buy him ahenema, or “royal slippers”, to wear with his cloth during an upcoming Parent-Teacher Association meeting.
Mrs Mintah said she had not been informed of any health problem before the call on September 30.
“I’m at this point pleading with the entire country, investigative agencies, parents and everyone who feels connected to help push for justice for our son,” she said.
“Wherever my Daniel Boateng Mintah is, I want him to know I love him so much,” she added, struggling to hold back tears.
Daniel’s elder sister, Vivian Mintah, also recounted the family’s unsuccessful attempts to obtain updates after the request for money for an injection.
She said she later questioned a teacher about her brother’s treatment.
According to Vivian, the teacher said Daniel had visited the school’s sick bay complaining of a headache. She said he could not identify the injection administered and referred her to a nurse who was unavailable at the time.
The family also raised questions about medication found among Daniel’s belongings returned by the school after his death.
Vivian identified the medication as carbamazepine, olanzapine and multivitamins, saying the family had not purchased them for him.
“My brother had never received psychiatric treatment and had not been diagnosed with a mental health condition,” she said.
She called for investigators to establish the origin of the medication and why it was among his belongings.
Vivian said Daniel’s last hospital visit before reporting to Abomosu STEM SHS had been for a dental appointment because he wanted braces.
She described struggling to sleep and concentrate following his death. She also said she saw blood on his uniform and gauze around his head, hands and feet when she visited his body at the mortuary.
Daniel’s former teacher, Ricky Kwabena Godigah, an assistant headmaster at Richenfel Academy at Dawhenya, Tema Community 25, described him as respectful, reserved and academically gifted, with a strong interest in computer science.
He said Daniel had no record of indiscipline and that the school had encouraged him to pursue his ambition.
“We all want answers to this unfortunate incident, and only a thorough investigation can establish the truth,” Mr Godigah said.
He added that establishing the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death was essential to preventing a similar tragedy.
The reporter’s attempts to get someone from the school to speak on record have so far proved unsuccessful.
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