Violence broke out during a peace ceremony between students of Bawku Senior High School and Bawku Technical Institute on Tuesday, February 25, leaving at least five students with severe injuries and several others with minor wounds.

The ceremony was meant to be a ritual spearheaded by traditional leaders in the Kpalwega suburb of Bawku to end violent confrontations between the two schools.

As part of the reconciliation efforts, the traditional leaders introduced a symbolic ritual: the burial of the okra stick, a gesture meant to signify the end of hostilities and the beginning of lasting peace. However, what was intended to be a moment of unity quickly turned chaotic.

Tensions escalated, and students from both schools began hurling stones at each other, disrupting the event and leaving many injured.

The Bawku Divisional Police Command acted swiftly to bring the situation under control, while the injured students were rushed to Quality and Vineyard hospitals in Bawku for medical attention.

Despite the violence, school authorities and the Ghana Education Service (GES) remained determined to complete the peace ritual.

With the involvement of the senior prefects from both schools, the symbolic burial of the okra stick was successfully carried out, marking a hopeful step toward reconciliation.