Three final year students of the Opoku Ware Senior High School have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a robbery incident in Kumasi.
Sources at the Ashanti Central Divisional Command say the three students, aged between 17 and 19 years, failed in their attempt to snatch a taxi cab from its driver on Friday night.
The driver picked the suspects from the Santasi suburb. The passengers sought his services under the pretext of travelling to the Lancaster Kumasi City, formerly Golden Tulip Hotel, in the Nhyiaeso suburb.
But upon reaching the Rattray Park area, the three impressed on the driver to hand over the ignition keys to them or risk being stabbed.
A struggle for the keys ensued between the suspects and the driver. Eventually, the vehicle hit a wall along the Ridge Police Station and the Royal Golf Park Junction.
This attracted onlookers from a nearby club who came to the aid of the taxi driver.
One of the students fled the scene, while two of them were arrested and handed over to the Police.
Full Detail’s;
The report had it that two boys who claimed to be students of OWASS had been brought to their custody for allegedly snatching a taxi cap at gun point.
After the headmaster was informed, a delegation, comprising the Assistant headmaster (Administration), Assistant headmaster (Domestic), the school chaplain and counsellor and the senior housemaster and his deputy were sent to the police station to identify whether or not the boys were students of OWASS.
When the boys were brought for identification, it came out that they were indeed students of OWASS. They were Akwasi Adu Donkor (BY 2), and Owusu Appiah Raphael (BY 664). The third suspect who had absconded was identified as Asubonteng Osei Kwadwo (BY 76).
It is on record that the three suspects had been withdrawn from the boarding house. Akwasi Adu Donkor and Asubonteng Osei Kwadwo were withdrawn from the boarding house on the same day for the following offences:
- Breaking bounds at night
- Wearing unprescribed attire in the school
- Fighting in the school
After this, both students have been habitual absentees and Adu Donkor was reported to the headmaster by his English teacher, Mr. Agyemang Duah Bismark.
His parents were subsequently called to bring the boy to school and he was warned to desist from such acts.
Asubonteng Osei Kwadwo on the other hand was brought to the Disciplinary Committee again for assaulting a fellow student and he was punished for that.
Owusu Appiah Raphael was also withdrawn from the boarding house for stealing on countless occasions from his colleagues at the dormitory.
After this incident, he and other four students appeared before the D.C. for wrongful entry into someone’s house at TUC.
He has also been hiding in the dormitory despite his withdrawal from the boarding house.
The day before his arrest, he was brought to the D.C. for stealing tins of sardines at the dining hall and causing mayhem during supper time even though he was a day student and did not have the right to eat supper at the school.
Every attempt by the school authority to reform these boys has proved futile. Their parents have been invited to the school on several occasions to discuss the behavior of their wards with them.
It is sad to report that the father of Raphael Owusu Appiah insulted the then Assistant headmaster, Mr. Akwasi Oduro Boateng and nearly fought him.
He claimed the Assistant headmaster hated his son and wanted him to be withdrawn from the school.
Investigations by the Kumasi Central Police command led to the arrest of the third suspect from his hideout.
Meanwhile, command officials and authorities at Opoku Ware School, have declined comments on the matter.
