Court grants bail to four in Osei Tutu SHS riot case
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
Four men accused of rioting at Osei Tutu Senior High School (SHS) in Akropong, Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality, have been granted a total bail of GHS60,000 by the Abuakwa Circuit Court.
The accused, Samuel Aloo, 21, a mechanic; Abukari Sadik, 24, a butcher; Andrews Boateng, 27, a dealer in second-hand goods; and Emmanuel Gariba, 20, a tricycle rider, each received GHS15,000 bail with one surety.
They pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and riot when they appeared before presiding judge Jephthah Appau.
The case is set to be recalled on 17 October 2025.
According to Police Detective Inspector Alexander Agbekpornu, who prosecuted the case, tensions had been brewing between youths of Esaase and students of Osei Tutu SHS following a dispute over a stolen mobile phone.
About a week before the incident, the disagreement escalated, threatening peace in the area.
On 27 August 2025, around 7:00 p.m., some Esaase youth, including the accused, allegedly regrouped and headed to the school with threats to burn a hostel.
Anticipating the attack, students reportedly mounted a blockade on the Akropong–Esaase road in front of the school’s main gate and pelted the approaching group with stones to prevent entry.
The police, acting on a tip-off, intervened swiftly. Officers managed to arrest the four suspects while others escaped. After investigations, the men were charged and brought to court.
The prosecution noted that the complainant in the case is a police officer stationed at Abuakwa, while all the accused hail from Atwima-Manhyia and Esaase.
