One BECE candidate and brother crashed to death on Wa-Charia road

A tragic road accident on the Wa–Charia road in the Upper West Region has claimed the lives of a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate and his brother, just hours before the start of this year’s national examinations.

The deceased have been identified as Ibrahim Diene Khalid, a Basic 8 pupil preparing to sit for the 2026 BECE, and his elder brother, Seidu Mohammed Tofick, a final-year Junior High School student, both of Charia Roman Catholic Junior High School.

According to family accounts, the incident occurred on Sunday evening, May 3, when the two were travelling on a motorcycle from Charia to Wa. They were reportedly heading to Wa, partly to visit Ibrahim’s examination centre in preparation for the start of the BECE scheduled for Monday, May 4.

The motorcycle they were riding was involved in a fatal crash along the Wa–Charia road, leading to their untimely deaths.

The tragedy has left the Charia community and the school in deep shock and mourning. In line with Islamic tradition, both brothers were buried on the same day.

At the examination centre, journalists observed an empty seat reserved for the late candidate, marked with Index Number 17, symbolising the absence of a student who had prepared for a major academic milestone that he would no longer be able to sit for.

The incident has cast a somber mood over the BECE period in the area, as families, classmates, and teachers grapple with the sudden loss.

School authorities, when contacted, declined to comment, stating they were awaiting clearance from the Ghana Education Service (GES) before issuing an official statement.

The tragedy adds to concerns about road safety among students, particularly in rural areas where motorcycles are commonly used for transport to schools and examination centres.