A Form 2 student is allegedly behind 3 fire outbreaks at Accra Academy Senior High School
•A Form 2 student at Accra Academy has confessed to having set fire to dormitories
• The boy has been handed over to the Police for investigations
• He explains that he wasn’t happy being a boarding student
A 15-year-student of the Accra Academy Senior High School has admitted to having been behind three separate fire outbreaks on campus.
The Form Two student, name withheld, has been handed over to the police for investigation. He is being charged for causing unlawful damage contrary to section 172(1) (b) of the Criminal and other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Based on a recent fire recorded on June 23, 2021, authorities of the school set up a Committee to investigate the unfortunate incidents at the school.
Upon a careful assessment, it was revealed that the Form 2 student was behind the fire recorded at the dormitories including the ones that destroyed several properties at the Alema Hall and Halm-Addo Hall.
The student who explained that he was forced to enroll at Accra Academy confessed that he secretly set the dormitory on fire intending to close down the school. According to management of the school, the boy sought to be a day student instead of being in the boarding house after the fire incident at the dormitory.
In his account, he revealed that he carries out his action while students are at prep studying adding that he buys petrol from a nearby filling station, sprinkles on plastic bottles and then set the dormitory on fire with a match.
In January 2021, GhanaWeb reported on a fire incident at one of the new dormitories at Accra Academy which destroyed several properties including food items, trucks, books, chop boxes, mattresses among other valuables. The students were at prep when the incident occurred, reports indicated that there was no power at the time of the incident, this the National Fire Service described as “strange”.
“There was no power at the dormitory and so it is strange that the building could catch fire…The first one too we were told there was no power in the dormitory so it means that the students are not monitored properly to find out whether somebody used naked flame secretly or mobile phone. A mobile phone hidden in books for a longer period of time and it becomes hot can ignite fire,” said the Head of Public Relations at the Ghana National Fire Service, Robinson Okoe Ellis in an interview on TV3.
The student has however been bailed and handed over to his parents. The PRO of the Accra Regional Police, DSP Effia Tenge has stated that the matter has been forwarded to the Attorney General Department.
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