Three students from the Swedru School of Business (SWESBUS) have been arrested in connection with the violent assault of a student from Obrachire Senior High Technical School (SHTS) during a district inter-schools athletics competition in Agona Swedru.
The arrests were confirmed by the Ghana Police Service following the circulation of a disturbing viral video that captured the brutal attack. The footage, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, showed the Obrachire student being surrounded, pelted with stones, and physically assaulted during what was meant to be a spirited sporting event.
The suspects have been identified as Joseph Amoh, 20; Benedict Appiah, 18; and Bilal Mamud, 18. They were taken into custody on Monday, February 23, 2026, after school authorities handed them over to the police following engagements with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The incident occurred on Thursday, February 19, 2026, during a District Schools Athletics Games event in Agona Swedru in the Central Region of Ghana. According to reports, tensions escalated between students from Obrachire SHTS and their counterparts from SWESBUS, leading to the violent confrontation.
A survivor of the attack, who is a student of Obrachire SHTS, later recounted his experience, stating that he was merely looking for a place to sit and treat his injured eye when he was targeted. “They threw a stone at me, I didn’t do anything,” he said, describing the sudden outbreak of violence.
The Ghana Police Service, through its Criminal Investigations Department, treated the matter as more than an issue of school indiscipline. Authorities described the act as “criminal conduct” under the Criminal Offences Act, emphasizing the seriousness of the offence.
Prior to the arrests, CID Director-General COP Lydia Yarkor Donkor issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the headmaster of SWESBUS to produce the students captured in the viral video or face police intervention. The directive underscored the police’s firm stance on maintaining law and order, even within school environments.
The Central Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has also responded to the incident. Dr Juliette Dufie Otami, Regional Director of Education, confirmed that security agencies had made significant progress in identifying and apprehending those involved. She added that the GES is collaborating closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability.
In response to the violence, the GES has temporarily suspended all inter-school sporting activities across the Central Region. The regional directorate noted that the incident undermined the spirit of healthy competition and highlighted the urgent need to review safety and security protocols at school events.
With the suspects now in police custody, they are expected to be arraigned before court as investigations continue. The incident has sparked national concern over student safety and discipline at school sporting events, prompting calls for stricter supervision and preventive measures to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
