REGSEC closes Okuapeman, Mount Sinai SHSs after violent reprisal attacks

The Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has ordered the closure of Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School in the Akuapem North Municipality due to violent reprisal attacks that resulted in significant property damage. The attack took place early on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, leading to the burning of several buildings at both institutions.

Six students from Okuapeman SHS required medical assistance, with four recovering and two remaining hospitalized. At Okuapeman SHS, the Visual Arts studio, a teachers' office, and seven classrooms were destroyed, and examination papers and certificates were reportedly incinerated. The nearby Mount Sinai SHS suffered damages to a storeroom and its boys' washroom.

Students from Mount Sinai were instructed to vacate the premises by 1 p.m. on the same day, while Okuapeman students were expected to leave on Thursday, September 3, in the morning.

Eastern Regional Director of Education, Dr Ivy Asantewaa, condemned the incident, stating that the Ghana Education Service would not protect any student involved in the violence. She emphasized the need for students to behave morally and responsibly. The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Owusu-Bempah, expressed concern over the attacks on police officers who were initially deployed to the schools.

He assured that the police would identify and prosecute all those responsible. The Chairperson of REGSEC and Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, expressed disappointment at the time when government is striving to improve and modernize senior high schools nationwide. She warned that anyone found guilty of the violence would face prosecution as investigations into the incident were ongoing.