Students of Zuarungu Senior High School in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region of Ghana have been sent home following a violent riot over a mobile phone theft. The unrest began when three Frafra students were accused of stealing phones and were confronted by Kusasi students, leading to a physical altercation.
This confrontation escalated into a riot that resulted in the burning of a shop owned by a Kusasi woman outside the school, known as the “Beatin Boot” market, and damage shops in the school’s common market at the entrance.Mrs. Agile Ajaratu, the shop owner whose business was destroyed, lamented that by the time the fire service arrived, her shop had already been completely consumed by flames. Eyewitnesses reported that the riot was particularly intense, with some students allegedly armed.
One student reportedly attempted to snatch a police officer’s weapon, prompting the regional minister to call for additional military and police reinforcements to restore order.Due to the violence, students from the Bawku area could not leave the school safely, as they were targeted by their peers.
The regional minister, along with the Bolgatanga East District Chief Executive, security officials, and school authorities, arranged for buses from nearby schools—Bolgatanga Senior High, Zamse Senior High, Kongo Senior High, and Gambigo Day Senior High to evacuate students under police escort.
Upper East Regional Minister Mr. Donatus Atanga Akamugri, who spoke to Word news, confirmed that four students Nyaba Jamal, Lukman Ahmed, Nsobila Prosper, and Godwin Baba have been arrested and are currently in police custody pending further investigation.
He denied allegations that students were seen with firearms, stating that only one student sustained a forehead injury during the chaos when police intervened.Mr. Akamugri stated, “I said the police picked about four students. The students that are under the custody of the police are Nyaba Jamal, Lukman Ahmed, Nsobila Prosper, and Godwin Baba. The report we received is that one of the students at the scene got injured on the forehead.”
He explained that the injury occurred during a struggle when students attempted to seize the police officer’s weapon while being transported in a police pickup.The minister emphasized that the school will remain closed while investigations are conducted, and a meeting with parents will be held to discuss the situation.
He also warned that punitive measures would be taken against students who broke school rules, especially those involved in the theft of mobile phones and the student who attempted to take the police weapon.
Mr. Akamugri urged the regional director of education to remind all senior high school heads to promptly report such incidents to the police and to encourage parents to support the enforcement of school regulations regarding mobile phone usage.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/ Gaspard Ayuureneeya Adongo.