The Zuarungu Senior High School (SHS) in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region has been temporarily closed down following a violent clash between students from two ethnic groups.
The clash, which erupted on Sunday, July 20, 2025, was reportedly triggered by allegations that three students from one ethnic group had stolen mobile phones belonging to their colleagues from another group.
The accusation and the ensuing confrontation quickly escalated into a physical altercation, resulting in a full-scale riot on the school compound.
Regional Minister’s visit
The Upper East Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, announced the decision to close the school after leading a delegation to assess the situation on the ground.
He confirmed that four students had been arrested in connection with the incident and were currently in police custody pending further investigations.
“In the course of the chaos, there was an attempt by one of the students to snatch a police weapon. That was a very serious security concern,” the Minister stated.
He clarified that no firearms were retrieved from the students, and further disclosed that only one injury had been recorded, explaining, “Only one student sustained an injury to his forehead during a struggle inside a police pickup.”
Mr Atanga said the school would remain closed until further notice while a thorough investigation is conducted to bring the perpetrators to book.
“A meeting with parents and guardians will also be scheduled to deliberate on this disturbing turn of events and to prevent a future occurrence,” he added.
The Minister urged heads of second-cycle institutions to report similar incidents promptly to law enforcement agencies and appealed to parents to support school authorities in enforcing rules, particularly those related to mobile phone usage.
Eyewitness accounts
Eyewitnesses said the violence intensified after the school’s internal security team lost control of the situation. The chaos culminated in the burning of a grocery shop on campus, reportedly owned by a woman from one of the ethnic groups involved in the conflict.
Security personnel from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces were swiftly deployed to restore calm. However, the situation deteriorated further when one student allegedly attempted to disarm a police officer during the evacuation exercise.
Additional reinforcements were later deployed to stabilise the scene and ensure the safety of students and school property.
The violence, which had clear ethnic undertones, left many students in fear. Some sought refuge in classrooms and dormitories to escape harm.
Evacuation of students
School authorities quickly arranged for the evacuation of all students under heavy security escort. Buses from nearby schools—including Bolgatanga Senior High School, Zamse Senior High Technical School, Kongo Senior High, and Gambibgo Day Senior High—were brought in to transport the students to safe locations, from where they could continue their journey home.
The owner of the burnt shop, Agile Ajaratu, said in an interview that she was unable to salvage anything.
“By the time personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived, my entire shop had been reduced to ashes,” she lamented.
She expressed shock that the rioting students had targeted her shop, leading to the destruction of her only source of livelihood.
