Police justify KTI students assault

The Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Police Command ASP Yusif Tanko, has explained that police on duty who assaulted students of the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) in the Ashanti region did that to restore calm and order in front of the school.

He added that the students pelted stones at the police as well as smashing police patrol cars and others on sight after police men on duty fired tear gas to disperse them.

The police who are reported to have arrested eleven students of KTI rushed to the dormitories of the school and beat other students who didn’t even go to the stadium ending up inflicting severe wounds on them.

According to him, the police had no option than to beat the rowdy students who went on rampage, blocking roads after winning Inter schools and colleges competition (Interco) held on Tuesday.

Speaking on Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko, he explained that KTI students engaged in confrontation with other competing students.

ASP Tanko indicated that about five policemen sustained injuries adding that the police had to act in that manner to ensure that motorists and pedestrians had free movements around the school.

‘Police discharged tear gas in order to disperse the rowdy students. It is not as if police went there to assault students but they acted to restore law and order, that is the briefing we had from men on duty, so far as we are concerned with the report from our officers, they police were justified in the action they took, it was conditional.

There is no law that prevents the police from pursuing the students who ran to their dormitories after smashing police vehicles and injuring others from facing the full rigours of the law. Some of the students who perpetrated the action ran to the dormitories so police had to pursue and arrest them. The police couldn’t have allowed them to take the laws into their hands by pelting stones, blocking roads unlawfully and smashing police vehicles, even though police have limitations,’ he explained.

He called on the public to provide the police with untold stories to unravel the truth regarding the assault saying they will allow the victims make their statements whiles investigations go on.