Distressing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage has shown the atmosphere at the Islamic Senior High School (SHS) before chaos involving the police erupted.

The video has refuted reports that the students were unarmed in the disturbances on Monday that left about 38 students hospitalised.

The students were seen wielding sticks and machetes in the video as they mass up in front of their school though the police were not in sight yet.

In the viral two minutes 38 seconds video, the mood at the school attracted commentary from faceless people believed to be some personnel who were monitoring the footage and angered by the scene.

There was chaos, confusion and fatigue at the premises of the school-based at Abrepo in Kumasi on Monday morning.

The students were protesting against incessant pedestrian knockdowns involving some students and teachers of the school as they block the Abrepo-Barekese main road causing vehicular traffic.

But the police, who were called in to maintain order, fired warning shots and tear gas into the protesting students to disperse the irate crowd.

The Ghana Police Service has since admitted that a better approach to tackling the riot could have been employed.

According to the service, a more calculated tactic could have led to a much more salient resolution to the chaos and not the development that was seen in the Ashanti Region on Monday.

Against this backdrop, some top police officers in the jurisdiction have been interdicted including the Deputy Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwasi Akomeah-Apraku, who has been removed.

He was acting as the Ashanti Regional Police Commander at the time of the chaos.

Two other police officers were interdicted to allow for investigations to take place.

At least 30 students of the school were hospitalised following a clash between irate students and crowd-control police there.

The students were protesting against pedestrian knockdowns involving some students and teachers of the school.

Deputy Education Minister, John Ntim Fordjuor, says the ministry will investigate the clash and institute appropriate measures.

“ Every incident that occurs in every institution under the Ministry and GES, however minor it is, deserves attention; deserves looking into perhaps if there are some lessons going forward.

“And so on that premise, we are interested to know and to ascertain the facts beyond what we have seen if there are some underlining matters that need to be addressed so that we just don’t gross over the incident here.”

Hundreds of parents besieged the school premises in an attempt to see their wards following news of the police-student clash.

But they were left disappointed as the police denied them access.

They raised concerns over the school authority’s handling of the matter and threatened to take action against them.

“What hurts me is the decision by the school authority to allow students demonstrate.  Why should you allow students under your care to demonstrate?

“We are well aware that you can hit the streets only when you have police approval. You did none of these only for you to lead the students to demonstrate,” an angry parent quizzed.

She continued, “I have 3 kids in this school. They are all asthmatic. Should anything bad happen to them, school authorities and police will regret their actions.”

The Inspector-General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare, who visited the school and some affected students in hospitals, promised to look into the conduct of police officers in detail to maintain law and order in the school.

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It comes as police fired warning shots and tear gas into the protesting students who blocked the Abrepo Junction-Barekese Road in protest of the knockdown of students and teachers.

“I also want to assure you that, whatever happened in terms of the policing aspect of it,  we are going to look into it and take all actions that needs to be taken to ensure that at the end of the day, the right thing is done, professionalism is deepened in a manner that will not create a situation that will put anybody at risk.”

“As police, we are here to protect live and property and if we cannot do that then we might have failed in our duties and our mandate.”

According to Dr. Dampare, the Department of Urban Roads  has  assurance to construct speed rumps on that stretch to address students concerns.

Reverend Ntim Fodjuor who led a delegation from the Education Ministry to visit students on admission at Suntreso Government Hospital says the incident at the Islamic Senior High School would be investigated.

“And we are able to deeply and in detail address the matter, it will help ensure that this doesn’t reoccur here and doesn’t show up in other campuses.”

On his entourage was the Mayor of Kumasi, Sam Pyne, Ashanti Regional Education Director, Ms Mary Owusu Afriyie, President of Conference of Assisted Secondary Schools(CHASS), Alhaji Yakubu  Abubakar, and other heads of Senior High Schools.

Meanwhile, calm has been restored as agitated parents leave the school.

It is however not clear when normal academic work will resume.

Footage that gives a visual account of Police officers firing tear gas into protesting students of the Islamic Senior High School (SHS) has surfaced online.

The video captured terrifying moments a group of policemen trooped into the school compound to disperse the students.

The students of the Abrepo-based school mounted roadblocks which resulted in vehicular traffic on the Abrepo Junction-Barekese road.

Their action was to protest frequent crashes of pedestrians, including their colleagues and teachers on the stretch.

In the video, the police who were called to the scene to maintain calm and order were captured firing shots in the air amidst the discharge of tear gas.

Play the video above:

There is heavy security presence at the Islamic Senior High School (SHS) as some parents have trooped there to withdraw their children following reports of a shooting incident.

Classroom activities have come to a halt as the parents are agitating to send their wards home.

Over 20 students of the Abrepo-based school in the Ashanti Region have been hospitalised after police allegedly fired shots to disperse them during a protest on Monday morning.

The students reportedly mounted roadblocks in front of the school which is along Abrepo Junction-Barekese main road to express their displeasure with frequent knock downs.

The roadblocks led to vehicular and human traffic on that stretch for more than an hour before the Police were called in to clear the road.

But the police presence led to clashes which left some students injured while others were also traumatised and unconscious.

Efforts are underway to restore calm in the school with security presence intensified.

Watch the video above:

Reports indicate Monday’s protest was to register their displeasure with rampant knockdowns of their colleagues on the stretch following the construction of the road.

At least 10 students since the beginning of the year they bemoaned have been knocked down while a teacher suffered same fate last Friday.

The students are said to have blocked the road in front of their school with the police called in to clear the roadblock and disperse the protesting crowd.

Some of the students who were traumatised by the scene reportedly collapsed with over 20 of them rushed to the hospital.

Academic activities have come to a halt following the incident while efforts are currently underway by school authorities to restore calm.

Personnel of the Ghana Ambulance Service are currently at the scene to help convey the students.

Though the leaders of the demonstrators are not immediately known, the police have picked up some teachers, stating they were not duly informed about the march.

The students, comprising nine females and four males, appeared in a video that went viral on social media which showed them danced to the popular ‘One Corner’ song from one of their classrooms.

The students were said to have taken the video and shared it on their personal Facebook pages and on YouTube.

The circulation of the video prompted a swift action by school authorities who summoned them for interrogation.

Parents of the students were invited by school authorities on Tuesday for a meeting which lasted for hours.

Management of the school confirmed the development to Citi News and said the matter was referred to the Disciplinary Committee and reported to the Ashanti Regional Education Directorate.

According to management, it would wait for the outcome of investigations from the committee before taking a decision on the matter.

Meanwhile, some students who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity expressed reservations on the matter.

They say the actions of their colleagues have a potential of denting the image of the school considering its Islamic values.

About the ‘One Corner’ song/dance

The song ‘ One Corner ‘ released by a new artiste, Patapaa, is the talk of town largely because of the crazy and sexually suggestive dance that comes with it.

The song is currently enjoying massive airplay and also playing at various public events, with several others dancing to the song and sharing videos on social media.

In the ‘One Corner’ dance, people are seen wiggling their waist and gyrating in gutters, under packed cars, corners of buildings and obscure places just to give meaning to the song.