WASEC students back on campus

All students of Wa Secondary School, who vacated the school following violent disturbances last week reported back at the weekend. This followed a warning from the school's Board of Governors that they should consider themselves dismissed if they failed to report back by last Friday evening.

The 300 students, adherents of the orthodox Muslim faith, left the school after the disturbances. They accused the school authorities of targeting them for persecution. Mr Moses Donneyong, Headmaster, said on Monday that the ultimatum followed a plea by Muslim leaders in Wa to give ample time to those who lived outside Wa to return.

He said even the suspected ringleaders Amin Salifu, Ibrahim Seidu and Hakeem Umar, who escaped arrest, were back on campus. "Calm has returned to the school but teachers are genuinely afraid of attack by the students and many of them are boycotting classes.''

Last week some of the students allegedly burnt down a staff bungalow, a motorbike belonging to a tutor and vandalised the administration block of the school. The riot was sparked off following a confrontation between section of the students and the sports tutor whom they claimed interrupted their dawn prayers to force them to undertake routine sports exercises.

With the assistance of military personnel stationed at Wa the Police arrested 14 of the suspected ringleaders for questioning and the others left the school in solidarity with their arrested colleagues.