The Zuarungu Senior High School in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region was shut down on Sunday, July 20, 2025, following a mobile phone theft that ignited clashes between two ethnic groups: Frafra students and Kusasi students. The conflict resulted in the tragic burning of a Kusasi woman shop outside the school at the “Beatin Boot” market by Frafra students, while Kusasi students retaliated by setting fire to some shops in the school compound.
In an exclusive interview with Word News, Upper East Regional Minister Mr. Donatus Atanga Akamugri disclosed that the final student involved in an altercation with a police officer, who managed to escape with the officer’s gun magazine, is still at large. This incident occurred on the night of July 19, 2025, when the student and a colleague were being transported to the police station in a pickup truck. While being transported, the student managed to retrieve the magazine and jumped from the vehicle.Akamugri stated that although the student is a final-year student, he has been identified, and the police have contacted his parents, who have been tasked with locating him.
The minister described the student as a “hardened criminal,” arguing that it takes a significant level of audacity to struggle with a police officer for a firearm, especially given the numerical strength of law enforcement in the Bolgatanga East District.”The student is at large. We have traced his family, but they claim he hasn’t returned home. The security forces know the family and have spoken to the parents, asking them to trace him and ensure he appears with them for interrogation,” he said.
Akamugri also reported that one student sustained serious injuries during the riots, having been attacked with a cutlass by a fellow student. The injured student attempted to protect his head and was subsequently invited by the police to help identify those responsible for such violent acts.The school authorities have shortlisted 26 students for investigation, who are made up three second-year students and 23 final-year students.
Mr. Donatus has tasked the Upper East Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Alice Abeere-inga and the Bolgatanga East District Director of Education to establish a committee to investigate and identify those involved in the riots. He directed that the committee be set up by Thursday, July 23, 2025, and complete its investigation within two days, as there are fewer than 30 individuals involved.
The minister emphasized the importance of resolving the matter quickly to enable the school to reopen and allow final-year students to prepare for their upcoming exams. He noted that students who typically instigate riots often do so out of academic disinterest, negatively impacting their peers.”We are waiting for the regional director of education and her team to expedite their investigation and conclude by the weekend, and also determine a timeline for reopening the school,” he added.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya Adongo.