Three former Hohoe E.P. SHS students arrested over the destruction of school property
Three former students of Hohoe E.P. Senior High School have been arrested by the Volta North Regional Police Command for allegedly destroying school property shortly after completing the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The suspects, identified as Rashid Suraj Dakpo, 19; Alhassan Mohammed, 20; and Abdul Kadri Abdulai, 20, are accused of damaging the school’s water pipeline system on June 19, 2026, according to a police statement. The incident came to light after a viral video circulated online showing a group of former students vandalizing the infrastructure, prompting the school authorities to lodge a formal complaint.
Police said the arrests followed intelligence gathering and surveillance operations launched after the complaint. “The Regional Police Command deployed intelligence surveillance on suspects and apprehended three of them,” the statement noted. The trio has since been handed over to the Regional Investigations Department to assist with further investigations and are expected to be processed for court.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects believed to have participated in the incident. The arrests highlight a growing concern over acts of vandalism by final-year students celebrating the end of WASSCE examinations. In recent years, schools across Ghana have reported similar incidents involving the destruction of dormitory facilities, classroom furniture, electrical fittings, water systems and other infrastructure.
Education authorities have repeatedly condemned such practices, describing them as a waste of public resources and a threat to efforts aimed at improving educational infrastructure. Last week, the Ministry of Education issued a nationwide warning to final-year students, stressing that acts of vandalism would attract sanctions and possible criminal prosecution. The ministry also directed school authorities to document and report all incidents of destruction through the Ghana Education Service (GES) for further action.
The Volta North Regional Police Command emphasized that anyone found engaging in such acts would face the full rigours of the law. “The Command warns that any student caught engaging in these acts will face the full rigours of the law,” the statement emphasised, while appealing to parents, guardians, teachers and community leaders to educate young people on the legal and financial consequences of vandalising public property.
The damaged water pipeline at Hohoe E.P. SHS forms part of facilities designed to support the welfare of students and staff, making its destruction a significant setback for the school. As investigations continue, the incident serves as a reminder of the need for sustained dialogue between educational institutions, law enforcement and communities to foster responsible behaviour among students.
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