According to a GhOne TV report on Sunday, May 18, 2025, a male boarding student from Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) in Kumasi has been arrested after he was found in possession of a locally manufactured pistol on campus.
The alarming discovery was made during a routine inspection by school authorities in the boys’ dormitory. The student was immediately handed over to the police for further investigation.
This development has reignited public concern about student safety in schools. It follows a similar incident just weeks earlier, where a female student from Adventist Senior High School in Bantama was accidentally shot in the eye by a male colleague using a locally made firearm.
That incident, which occurred in April 2025, left 16-year-old Suzzy Pinamang permanently blind. She was first taken to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and later transferred to Accra for specialized treatment. Philanthropist and businessman Ibrahim Mahama stepped in to cover her medical expenses.
With this new incident at OKESS, parents and education stakeholders are demanding urgent measures to prevent weapons from being brought onto school premises.
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has reported that students are often caught with dangerous objects such as knives, scissors, and broken bottles. Both CHASS and the Ghana Education Service (GES) are urging parents to closely monitor what their children bring to school.
Meanwhile, the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) is advocating for stricter security protocols in schools. They are calling on school administrators to intensify checks at entry points and consider hiring additional security personnel.
As the police continue their probe into the OKESS case, many Ghanaians are asking critical questions: How are students obtaining firearms? And what comprehensive steps can be taken to ensure school safety?
