Gunmen Kill 3 Students In Bawku And Nalerigu: Is Ghana’s School Security Failing?
A wave of shock and mourning has spread across Ghana after gunmen attacked students on two senior high school campuses in the northern regions, killing three young lives in a single night.
On the evening of Saturday, July 26, 2025, unknown gunmen stormed the Nalerigu Senior High School in the North East Region. In what many describe as a horrifying ambush, the attackers entered the school premises and opened fire on students inside the dormitory.
Two male students, Lukman and Gideon, were killed in the attack. At the time of reporting, they were only identified by their first names. Family sources, including an uncle of one of the victims who also serves as an assembly member for the Denugu Electoral Area, confirmed the tragic incident.
Bawku also struck: Another student gunned down in his dorm
In what appears to be a coordinated or related act of violence, a similar attack occurred later the same night at Bawku Senior High School. According to eyewitnesses, gunmen jumped the school’s perimeter wall, stormed the dormitory, and forcibly dragged a student outside before executing him.
While authorities are yet to confirm full identities or motives, community sources suspect the Bawku conflict may be fueling these brutal assaults. Tensions in the area have long been a source of insecurity, but the spillover into educational institutions marks a terrifying escalation.
Where is the safety net? Schools no longer safe havens
The question on every Ghanaian’s mind is clear: Are our schools still safe for our children?
These attacks were not accidents — they were deliberate, targeted, and organized, pointing to a growing threat to education, national security, and youth welfare. Students now live with the trauma of knowing that a dorm — meant to be a sanctuary — can be turned into a battlefield.
These incidents also expose deep vulnerabilities in campus security protocols, particularly in conflict-prone regions. With minimal protection and virtually no deterrents, schools become soft targets.
What we risk if this trend continues
If left unchecked, these acts will only worsen Ghana’s growing education crisis. Students will begin to fear learning environments, dropout rates may spike, and families may resist sending children to boarding institutions in high-risk zones. Beyond the emotional cost, there’s a long-term economic consequence: weakened human capital development.
Additionally, the continuous infiltration of conflict into academic institutions could foster radicalization, youth violence, and undermine future peace efforts.
Call to action: Demand answers, demand protection
Ghanaians must rise with one voice to demand action from the Ministry of Education, Interior Ministry, and local security forces. These are not isolated incidents — they are a wake-up call.
Protecting students should be non-negotiable. Security must be reinforced, perpetrators apprehended, and a full risk assessment conducted across schools in volatile regions.
Take-home messages
- Three students have lost their lives in violent dormitory attacks in Nalerigu and Bawku SHS.
- The incidents highlight a disturbing intersection between education and armed conflict in Ghana’s northern regions.
- School safety protocols must be urgently reviewed and enforced across high-risk areas.
- If unresolved, these attacks could fuel mass withdrawal from schools and erode trust in public institutions.
- Every child deserves the right to learn in safety, free from the fear of violence or death.
