Four Accra Academy students face court over viral assault incident

Four students from Accra Academy Senior High School appeared before the Dansoman Circuit Court on Monday in connection with the alleged assault of first-year students.

A widely circulated video on social media showed one of the victims being attacked with a machete.

Among the four accused, only 21-year-old Richard Ninson is an adult. However, he was absent from the court proceedings. Ninson faces two charges of abetment of crime, specifically aiding in an assault.

The remaining three students, aged between 15 and 17, are minors, and their identities have been withheld. They were present in court and entered a plea of not guilty to charges including assault, abetment of crime, and threats of harm.

Presiding over the case, Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Basit granted bail to the three minors, placing them in the custody of their relatives—a father, an uncle, and an aunt—who are to serve as sureties under the Juvenile Justice Act. Each was granted bail set at GH₵10,000 to allow them to prepare for their upcoming examinations.

The prosecution has been directed to submit all disclosures and witness statements for the Case Management Conference. The court adjourned the case to April 14, 2025.

Details of the Incident

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko and Inspector Esther Mensah, stated that the complainant in the case is a 34-year-old teacher at Accra Academy, residing in Ablekuma New Town.

According to the prosecution, the accused students, who are day students residing in Mamprobi and Shukura, were identified through a video that surfaced on social media on January 1, 2025. The footage allegedly showed them assaulting junior students on school grounds using a machete.

Following the video’s circulation, a relative of one of the minors, alongside the complainant, escorted him to the police for questioning. His statement was taken, and he was released on bail while investigations continued.

Further inquiries revealed that on January 17, 2025, a group of first-year students had gone to the school park to pray when the accused students confronted them. The victims were ordered to kneel, and one of them, who had a phone, was forced to erase its contents and surrender it.

The accused reportedly demanded GH₵500 for the return of the phone. Additionally, the other victims were instructed to contribute GH₵10 each, which they complied with.

One of the accused allegedly struck a victim on the chest and used a machete to hit him, while another recorded the incident. They then threatened the victims with further harm if they reported the attack.

The case is set to continue in April as investigations proceed.