UCC’s Oguaa Hall week celebration turns bloody (VIDEO)
Violent exchanges between students of the Oguaa and the Atlantic halls of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) over the weekend have led to the destruction of property.
The cause of the clashes was not immediately known, but the police said they would today open full-scale investigations into the incident, which left four persons injured.
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The injured, who were rushed to the university’s hospital, have all been treated and discharged.
Meanwhile, 15 policemen have been deployed to guard the two halls to maintain peace and order, with the number being beefed up every night.
Students interviewed by the Daily Graphic last Saturday said the clashes began when some students went to the frontal arena of the Oguaa Hall, singing and trying to forcibly enter the hall.
When they were resisted, the irate students attacked the hall with stones, smashed some of the glasses of the Junior Common Room (JCR), set two motorbikes parked in front of the hall ablaze and tried to do the same to portions of the hall.
They also smashed the notice boards at the hall.
The Atlantic Hall also suffered some damage. The signage of the hall has been completely destroyed, while a statue in front of the hall has been brought down.
Hall Week celebrations
The incident has temporarily disrupted activities of the Oguaa Hall Week which were underway.
The UCC District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammed Awal, could not immediately tell how the clash started.
He told the Daily Graphic that the police were called in about 1.40 a.m. last Saturday to help quell violent clashes at the Oguaa Hall.
“When we arrived, the whole place was very dark. But in the darkness, we could hear people throwing stones towards the Oguaa Hall,” he said.
He said they realised they needed reinforcement, which arrived with more appropriate crowd control equipment, including tear gas, to stop the rampaging students.
“It was after we had used the tear gas that we saw people running in the dark,” he stated.
DSP Awal said no arrest had so far been made, as more information was being gathered.
Criminal
Meanwhile, the management of the UCC, in a press release, said the incident was regrettable, describing it as “criminal and unfortunate”.
The statement, signed by the Registrar, Mr John Nyan, said: “The University of Cape Coast management has observed with deep regret an act of violence and vandalism which occurred on the campus at dawn on February 22, 2020, leading to the destruction of properties and injuries to some students. Management strongly condemns these criminal and unfortunate acts.”
It added that the university, with the support of the relevant security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service, had initiated investigations into the incident.
“Management wishes to state unequivocally that all perpetrators will be brought to book and dealt with appropriately,” it stressed.
Remain calm
The university urged all students, staff and the university to remain clam, while due processes were followed to bring the perpetrators to book.
Student clashes are not new on the UCC campus, particularly between the Oguaa and the Atlantic halls.
In 2017, at least 10 students sustained varying degrees of injury in violent clashes between the two halls of residence, with properties destroyed.
In that instant, the authorities rusticated 22 students, but it lost the case in court. A Cape Coast High Court awarded costs of GH¢220,000 against the university to be paid to the affected students after counsel for the students had argued that they were being used as scapegoats for a crime they did not commit.
Below are some photos and videos from the scene of the incident.
Oguaa Hall Frontage after the brawl
Destruction of the ATL Statue happened around 5:20AM
Vandalized JCR of Oguaa Hall
One of the three burnt motorbikes
Destroyed Polytank
ATL Hall main entrance
Oguaa JCR Aircondition unit destroyed
Oguaa Notice Board
Powdered pepper sprayed at the porter's lodge floor
Vandalised JCR.
ATL Hall main gate after the brawl