Islamic Students’ Issues Were Unprofessionally Handled By The Police – Security Analyst

A security analyst Mr Samuel Nana Appiah has said that the issue that led to students in Islamic SHS at Abrepo in the Ashanti region last Monday’s demonstration was unprofessionally handled and did nid not attached any maturity by the police in the region.

Speaking on Plan B Fm’s Nkosuonsem Tuesday 14 June 2022, he told Ohene Addo that the police failed to analyse that “these are not a pressure groups people or these are not any kind of anti-government demonstration people who are trying to get the hearings of the government or any authority so they would take the law into their hands and do whatever they want that is not it” he fumes

He then again said if the police had done all these preliminary investigations and understood the situation well the incidents wouldn’t have happened, and in my opinion, their approach was very unprofessional and we must condemn it, he added.

The Police Administration says it has interdicted three senior police officers over the shooting incident at the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi on Monday June 13, 2022.

According to the Police, the Deputy Regional Commander who was acting as Regional Commader in the Ashanti Region was slapped with double sanctions of removal and interdiction

The two others are Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) George Ankomah, Regional Operations Commander and ACP Alex Cudjoe Acquah, Suame Divisional Police Commander were also interdicted to make way for thorough investigations into the incident.

This follows the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr George Akuffo Dampre visit to the scene for first hand information and ensure calm is restored in the school.

Per a statement issued by the Police after the IGP’s visit said “It was further established that even though nobody was hit by a bullet the Police handling of the incident was poor and fell short of our standard operating procedure on crowd control.”

Over thirty students of the Islamic Senior High School were rushed to the hospital after the police allegedly fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse students who were demonstrating over incessant vehicular knockdowns.

Some worried parents stormed the school to demand for the release of their wards on Monday June 13.

The affected students were conveyed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and other hospitals in Kumasi for medical treatment with some discharged including police officers who injured as a result of the incident.

“I should be worried but some of them have been resituated. We will follow up to the hospital and see how they are doing,” Madam Mary Owusu Afriyie, the Regional Education Director told journalists.

On Monday 13 June 2022 there was a report that at least 30 students of the school had been rushed to the hospital after police allegedly opened tear gas on them while they were demonstrating over frequent knockdowns in front of the school.

The students of the school were said to have blocked the road in front of their school in the course of their protest, prompting authorities to invite the police.

The police have been accused of using excessive force to disperse the demonstrating students from the streets.

But the police service in its statement said it has restored calm to the school, while some of its men, as well as students, are receiving medical attention after sustaining injuries.

“The Police managed to disperse the rioting students and calm has since been restored… Some students and some police officers have been taken to the hospital for medical attention,” the Ghana Police Service said.