The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare has on Friday, June 17, interdicted four more police officers in correlation with recent disturbances at the Islamic Senior High School in the Ashanti Region.
The officers were assessing the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of the chaos while giving Islamophobic commentary in the background. They are still to be named. Their denigrating comments about Muslims have infuriated the Islamic community.
“Have you seen their attitude [referring to students of the Islamic SHS]? Do you think if it was an Akan school they will behave that way?” one of the officers said in the video. Another said: “They are dirty. They are dirty! Wherever these Muslims are, there is a problem…” the officers said.
A Ghana Police Service delegation visiting the Zongo chief of Kumasi, Alhaji Umar Sulta Farouk, on June 18, 2022, confirmed that the four police officers were under service investigation.
Senior Police Officer, DCOP Mohammed Suraji, who doubles as the Ghana police operations commander, and led the delegation on behalf of the IGP noted that the police maintain high professionalism and neutrality blind to religion, tribe, or ethnic group.
“Such [a comment] doesn’t represent the Ghana police. So, we are here to apologise. As I speak the officers, including a chief inspector have been interdicted. They are under service inquiry for exhibiting such unprofessional conduct and we support this decision. We should treat this with the contempt it deserves,” DCOP Suraji said.
He assured Muslim leaders that the police respect everyone, regardless of political, religious, or tribal affiliation.
So far, seven police officers have been arrested in connection with the campus upheaval, including DCOP Kwasi Akomeah-Apraku, who has been removed as the deputy Ashanti regional commander.
Last Monday, students of the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi, protested against frequent motor traffic accidents in front of the school.
After students set up roadblocks, police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and reopen traffic, which led to 38 injured students.
Ghana’s education ministry condemned the violence, assuring parents and guardians “of the safety of their wards” and saying that it “is collaborating with relevant state institutions to bring finality to the matter.”
