The Akosombo Divisional Police Commander in the Eastern Region, has advised students of the Akro Senior High Technical School to be security conscious by restricting their movement outside the walls of the school, to stay safe in the wake of recent clashes with some youth of Odumase-Krobo.
Chief/Supt. Isaac Obeng Dompreh speaking to a gathering of students and teachers of the school on Wednesday warned the students that their lives were at risk as “the grounds are not fertile”, cautioning that letting their guards down by wandering to town could be dangerous.
The school reopened on Monday after a two-week emergency break occasioned by violent clashes between students of the school and some ghetto youth of their host community after a member of the ghetto group was lynched by the students.
Sakitey Emmanuel Kpabitey died from severe assault by the students when he threatened to organize town boys to beat them up if they did not release Odoi Solomon who was caught loitering at the girls’ dormitory on the night of Friday, January 21.
According to the Police Commander, its intelligence pointed to possible revenge by associates of the deceased by attacking students of the school, adding that the students owned it a responsibility to be their first policeman.
“They [youth] are now peeved and want to seek vengeance upon some of you whether you were among or not so far as you are a student of Akro Senior High Technical School, they see you as part of the group that committed that act,” warned the commander furthering that aggrieved members of the community considered all students of the school as enemies.
He added: “Those out there, did not see or do not know those who actually did the act, so far as you are a student of Akro, you are enemies to them.”
The Divisional Commander while adding that some of the students may have friends outside the school however advised them to concentrate on their books by remaining on campus instead of sneaking to the town. “This is the time that you need to be very careful, concentrate on your books and make sure you remain indoors and remain within the confines of the school,” said Chief/Supt. Dompreh, added that authorities would not be blamed for the actions of any student that lands them in trouble outside the walls of the school.
He said though the police would continue to play their part by ensuring general protection for them, the other responsibility to stay safe lay on them.
Chief/Supt. Dompreh in an interview noted that the police service would continue to liaise with the school security to provide internal security in the school.
Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh reminded the students of the investments government was making into their future and charged them to reciprocate the gesture by studying hard.
Mr. Tetteh who said he did not want to see a repeat of the incident on the campus, urged them not to take the law into their hands but allow the school authorities to do so and assured the students of their safety on campus.
To further boost security on the campus, the Assembly Chief presented ten streetlights to the school to be fixed at vantage points, after a student complained about the lack of enough streetlights on campus.
On her part, the Odumase District Police Commander, Supt, Doris Akua Grant warned the students against instant justice but rather report stealing cases to their school management to report to her office located just a stone’s throw away from the campus.
According to her, police intelligence picked up indicates that most of the students are known by the aggrieved ghetto youth and warned students who may be members of such groups to stay away from them.
Akosombo Divisional Crime Officer, Supt. Margaret Sapati cautioned that being a student does not immune them from prosecution if they broke the law.
She advised students who may be members of the various ghettos in town to stay away from such groups as they could be targets of the wrath of the youth over the death of their colleague.
The police is cautioning the students to be security conscious