Ghanaian student tragically stabbed and killed 4 months after arriving in Canada

A 23-year-old Ghanaian student, Alfred Okyere, who arrived in Saskatoon, Canada, just four months ago, has tragically lost his life in a stabbing incident.  

Okyere, who hailed from Kumasi, Ghana, moved to Canada as an international student with aspirations to build a better life. He lived with his sister and had recently taken up a part-time job earlier this month at DSI Underground Canada, a mining supply company located in Saskatoon's north industrial area.  

Speaking to the press in Canada, family friend Alexander Osei-Owusu described Okyere as a determined young man. "As many students these days, everybody is trying to find work here and there to get something, to support the education," Osei-Owusu said.  

The incident occurred on Monday night(January 20, 2025), with Saskatoon police receiving a call to the facility at 8 p.m. CST.  

“Upon arrival, Police located a 23-year-old male victim suffering from stab wounds,” read a statement from Saskatoon Police. He was transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”* 

On January 22, 53-year-old Troy Francis Leclair appeared in provincial court charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing.  

Okyere was an active member of the Church of Pentecost in Saskatoon, which serves as a significant hub for the Ghanaian community in the city. *“It’s a big church for the Ghana community,”* Osei-Owusu noted.  

Friends of the late Okyere have since launched a GoFundMe campaign to support his grieving family.  

Although police have refrained from releasing Okyere's name or discussing the events leading to the incident, they have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. DSI Underground, where the stabbing occurred, has not responded to requests for comment.  

The news has sent shockwaves through Saskatoon's Ghanaian community and beyond, as friends and family mourn a promising life cut tragically short.