A 10-year-old pupil of Falahiya Primary School in the Savannah Region is currently fighting for recovery after a classroom exercise allegedly turned into a brutal session of “torture”.
The victim, a class five student, was reportedly flogged into a state of semi-consciousness by his class teacher, Mr. Fatawu Wumenaya, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
The reason for the alleged assault was a homework score of 2 out of 8.
The boy’s father, Seidu Mahama, told JoyNews that the gravity of the injuries only became apparent when his son returned home complaining of excruciating pain.
“Yes, for now, I want to make sure that justice prevails for the little boy,” Mr. Mahama vowed.
“When I saw the swollen hand, I asked, and he told me that he was flogged by his teacher for scoring two over eight in a homework assignment. [The teacher] made him lie on top of a dual desk table and flogged him with a knapsack cable. He felt the pains and used his hand to cover his buttock, but the teacher continued and finally inflicted the injuries on him,” Mr. Mahama recounted in an interview with JoyNews’ Isaac Nongya.
The heavy-duty cable from a chemical knapsack sprayer is significantly more dangerous than the standard canes traditionally used in schools, leading the father to describe the incident as an act of “torture” rather than discipline.
Hospitalisation and Surgery
The victim was rushed to the St. Anne Catholic Hospital, where medical staff determined that the trauma to his left hand was severe enough to require surgery. The procedure was successfully carried out on Tuesday, January 27.
While the boy has since been discharged, his path to recovery remains long.
“We’ve been discharged, but his left hand is still bandaged and subject to a two-day interval review for two months,” his father added, as he transported the bandaged child on the back of his motorcycle.
In a formal quest for accountability, Mr. Mahama has lodged a criminal complaint with the Damongo Divisional Police Command. A medical report has been issued to the family to aid in the prosecution of Mr. Wumenaya, who is reported to have gone into hiding since the incident occurred.
The Ghana Education Service (GES), which officially banned corporal punishment in all schools in 2017, is now under pressure to act. The Savannah Regional Director of Education, Bright Lawal, has indicated that his office is investigating the matter and will issue a formal statement on Monday, February 2.
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