More than 10 students have been arrested in connection with violent clashes between Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School in the Akuapem North Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The arrests follow violent confrontations between students of the two schools in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2, which resulted in several facilities on both campuses being damaged by fire.

Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Joseph Owusu-Bempah, said the police had arrested some of the students involved and were working to identify and apprehend others.

“We have apprehended them. And there are more,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.

He said some students fled the schools when the police arrived, but assured that those who escaped would be traced and arrested.

According to the Regional Police Commander, the police are also compiling a comprehensive list of individuals suspected to have participated in the violence.

Teachers under investigation

DCOP Owusu-Bempah further disclosed that the police had uncovered allegations that some teachers may have encouraged students to attack their counterparts.

He said the names of some teachers had emerged during the investigation and that they would be arrested if their involvement was established.

“We have the names of the teachers. They have nowhere to go. At the appropriate time, we will arrest all of them, and their names will be published,” he warned.

The police have not yet established the exact cause of the confrontation but are investigating the circumstances that triggered the violence and the roles played by students and any other persons.

Six students injured

The clashes left six students of Okuapeman SHS injured.

The school’s headmaster said four of the injured students had been treated and discharged, while two remained under medical care as of Wednesday.

Several facilities at both schools were also reportedly burnt or vandalised during the violence.

DCOP Owusu-Bempah urged students to return to school and cooperate with the police investigation.

He also cautioned individuals against attempting to interfere with the investigation, warning that such actions could undermine efforts to restore calm and ensure that anyone found responsible faces the law.

The police say investigations are ongoing, with further arrests expected as efforts continue to identify all persons involved in the clashes.