Students’ brutality justified; they were being ‘disobedient’, ‘lawless’- KNUST PRO

The Public Relations Officer of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kwame Yeboah has stated that the assaulted students did not seek permission before undertaking their vigil activity contrary to the rules of the university for which reason the University security and police were called in to stop them.

MyNewsGh.com has reported how the School’s security on Friday [19th October 2018] pounced on unarmed students who were having a peaceful vigil at the forecourt of the hall in protest of management’s freeze on “morale”, a usual Friday night jamboree in all the halls at the school.

The University in a communique signed and posted both to the Continental Hall and University Hall Management asked the student body to cease their usual ‘Friday Night Morale’ as the school has suspended the activity.

The notice read “Notice is hereby given that all forms of “morales” in and around the University Hall are suspended with immediate effect. This decision was taken in view of several negative issues encountered recently with respect to morales in the hall. Any person who flouts this directive shall receive the necessary sanction and response”.

Angel FM’s Nanayaw Amagyei who was at the school at the time of the incident told MyNewsGh.com that , school security numbering over 20 and armed to the teeth who said they were “only carrying out an order”, pounced on the students who had gathered at the forecourt and singing dirges, arrested seven and brutalized them with canes and stun guns unprovoked.

The rampaging security men, escorted by some officers of the KNUST Police accosted the journalist (Nana Yaw Amagyei) who was filming the students at the vigil and ceased his video camera, before unleashing the attack on the unsuspecting students, after being convinced that there was no camera or recorder in hand to record their deeds.

The said camera is still in the custody of the KNUST security as at the time of filing this story.

An alumnus of the hall, whose name was not immediately known but nicknamed as “Ashaina”, who was present at the time of the attack is also in the custody of the Tech Police after been brutalized and whisked away in a security van alongside seven students.

One student who was singled-out and chased till he was caught by the marauding security personnel is battling for his life at the University Hospital, after sustaining severe injuries and shocks, dragged on the floor and kicked till he collapsed.

But commenting on the beatings, KNUST PRO said it was justified. He was speaking on Citi in Accra.

“The university thinks certain activities in the night should not be entertained. Some other activities are permitted because the students applied for permission. But there was no permission for last Friday’s activity. The students decided to go their own way. They decided not to obey any rules or regulations on campus; and the law doesn’t permit that. So when it happened, the police were brought in.”