Three Senior High School (SHS) students have been shot to death on their campuses in two separate but connected attacks in Bawku and Nalerigu.
This has forced Government to shut down schools in the areas and begin an urgent evacuation of students while imposing a curfew.
“The curfew is intended to create an environment conducive to the evacuation of all students in various educational institutions in affected areas, some of whom have been unfortunately targeted in the conflict”, the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stated in a press release issued on Sunday July 27, 2025.
On Saturday night, July 26, 2025, unknown gunmen stormed the dormitories of two different schools, Bawku Senior High School in the Upper East Region and Nalerigu Senior High School in the North East Region, leaving three students dead and the entire communities fear.
One of the victims was a final-year student at Bawku SHS, who was reportedly dragged out of his dormitory by unidentified armed men. They forcefully entered the school premises by jumping over the wall and shot him dead in what appeared to be a targeted killing. These assailants fled the scene immediately.
His elder brother, Tahiru Kundima, confirmed the heartbreaking news and revealed that the Bawku Divisional Police Commander personally delivered the body to their family.
In Nalerigu, two other students, identified only as Lukman and Gideon, were also shot and killed in their dorm room by unknown gunmen on the same night. The victims, from the Denugu Electoral Area, were reportedly preparing for school activities when the attackers struck. Their uncle, who is also the local Assembly Member, confirmed their deaths to the media.
Responding to the tragic incidents, the Bawku Municipal Director of Education, Isaac Agbeko Azasoo, on Sunday, July 27, 2025 officially announced the closure of all schools in the area, citing serious safety concerns for both students and staff.
In addition, the government has since imposed a 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew in Bawku, Nalerigu, and surrounding areas to help control the situation and make room for the safe evacuation of students.
According to the statement from the presidency, dated Sunday, July 27, 2025, the curfew is aimed not only at restoring peace but also at creating a safe environment for transporting students out of harm’s way.
The Ghana Armed Forces have been deployed to the troubled areas to maintain law and order. The government has also shifted its approach from “peacekeeping” to what it now calls “peace enforcement” following the escalation of violence in recent days.
The Bawku conflict, rooted in decades of ethnic and chieftaincy disputes, has proven extremely difficult to resolve, despite numerous peace efforts by the government and traditional leaders. Recently, mediation efforts led by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, together with the Nayiri and Zugraana, were reportedly making progress before this latest wave of killings shattered the fragile peace.
“Government urges all parties to refrain from violence and support the peace process. Residents are advised to fully cooperate with the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure peace.
While regretting the inconvenience this peace enforcement intervention may cause to peace-loving people within the affected areas, the Government of Ghana remains committed to restoring peace and stability in Bawku and other affected areas and is taking every necessary measure to ensure the safety and security of all residents, including students,” the statement reads.
For the grieving families, no action can undo the pain they now carry. For now, schools lie empty and the nation mourns three bright futures cut short far too soon.
