Heavy security at Osino SHS after students lynched community member in a violent attack

Some students of Osino Presby Senior High School in the Fanteakwa South district of the Eastern Region have allegedly lynched a 27-year-old miner, Ofosu Peter at the school's boys dormitory.

The incident occurred on Monday, February 19, 2024, and a vehicle was burnt amidst escalating tensions.

The clash erupted when students from Osino Presby Senior High Technical allegedly assaulted a student from Nsutem Senior High Technical School who was walking across the boys' dormitory, igniting long-standing tensions between the two institutions.

Subsequently, three relatives of the assaulted student, accompanied by two community members sought redress from teachers at the Osino Presby Senior High School.

However, they were met with aggression from the students, prompting them to flee back to the community.

“When the students saw them in the company of the victim they thought they were coming for reprisal attack so they mobilized and started hurling stones and other implements and chased them away. A Kia Picanto which they drove to the campus was burnt by the students,” an eyewitness said.

Subsequently, Ofosu Peter, who was passing through the boys’ dormitory to the Nsuapemso community fell victim to the aggression of the students and was lynched.

The father of the deceased, Martin Addo, is calling for justice to be served.

Expressing dismay over the lack of arrests, Isaac Kwadwo Paddy, the spokesperson for the Nsuapemso youth urged authorities to take swift action to apprehend those responsible for the violence.

“It was mob action he was lynched. All that we want is justice. We want the police to investigate the situation thoroughly and punish anyone who is part of this act. The guy is the breadwinner of his family. He is not even part of what happened today and yesterday so why this brutality? We want justice from the police. We want to see those who were involved in such acts arrested. Very surprised that police have not arrested anyone, and the students are still holding cutlasses jubilating,” he said.

In response to the escalating tension, the Fanteakwa South District Security Council (DISEC) has deployed heavily armed police personnel to the scene to de-escalate the situation and ensure the safety of the community and students.

The body of the deceased was transported to the Police Hospital in Accra on Tuesday for autopsy and investigations into the incident continue.

The Ghana Education Service and the DISEC are contemplating temporarily shutting down the school to de-escalate the tension after taking the necessary action.