Two senior high schools (SHS) in the Northern Region - Salaga SHS and Karaga SHS - have been closed down after students’ riots led to the death of one person and the massive destruction of property.
The death, from suspected gunshot wounds, occurred at the Salaga SHS, where disturbances broke out yesterday. The deceased is yet to be named.
Some riotous students are said to have clashed with the police who, after fruitless attempts to stop them in their tracks, opened fire, resulting in the death of the victim.
The unnamed student was said to be on his way to the Salaga Farmers’ Co-operative Credit Union, near the rioting scene, when he was hit by a bullet.
The school’s storeroom was set ablaze while a police vehicle with registration number GT 294 was also vandalised by irate students and youths of the town.
Police briefing
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer (PR0) of the Ghana Police Service in the region, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Ebenezer Tetteh, said the riot started in the morning after four students of the school who were in bathroom slippers and their shirts not tucked in were asked to go out of an examination hall by one of the teachers, as their dressing was against school regulations.
According to ASP Tetteh, the students, who felt disgraced by the action of the teacher, Madam Azara Sulemana, became angry and started threatening her.
She therefore went to the headmaster’s office to lodge a complaint.
ASP Tetteh said on realising that the situation was escalating, the school authorities also made a report to the police, following which some students were arrested for interrogation and while they were in custody, other students and some youth of the area stormed the police station demanding their release.
Subsequently, ASP Tetteh said, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Salaga, Mr Mohammed Amin Lukeman, appealed to the police to release the four students to him so that his outfit could meet with the school authorities and the student body to resolve the matter, since it was getting out of hand.
Police reaction
He indicated that a request the police made to the demonstrators to go back to their school and homes was turned down and they started throwing various objects at the police, who responded with warning shots, one of which hit a student, killing him instantly.
ASP Tetteh said no arrest had been made so far, while reinforcement from the regional police command was assisting to maintain sanity in the area.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, who condemned the act, ordered the closure of the school to help restore peace and calm to the area.
Alhaji Limuna said the Regional Security Council was going to meet with the head of the school to come up with measures to prevent further disturbances.
Earlier on Monday, the Karaga SHS in the Karaga District in the Northern Region was closed down following students’ riots, which also led to the destruction and stealing of school property.
Items destroyed included the school bus and the headmaster’s pick-up, while four computers were stolen from the science laboratory.
The students also destroyed the lighting system, and caused damage to a teachers’ bungalow.
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