Ten student leaders at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) were arrested following protests against the university administration’s decision to increase academic fees by 30% and implement new restrictions on student organizations. The demonstration, which had been peaceful and had followed proper notification procedures, was violently dispersed by Ghana Police Service officers.

Emmanuel Kwesi Mintah, president of the Student Representative Council, and nine other student leaders were arrested on charges of “unlawful assembly,” “disturbing the peace,” and “destruction of public property.” According to eyewitness accounts, police used excessive force during the arrests, with several students requiring medical attention for injuries sustained. The arrested students were held for five days before being granted bail under strict conditions, including reporting to police weekly and being barred from university premises.

The university administration subsequently suspended all ten students indefinitely without a disciplinary hearing. Internal communications later leaked to Ghanaian media revealed that university officials had specifically requested police intervention to “neutralize troublesome student leaders” who had been documenting administrative corruption and mismanagement of university resources.

The case highlighted concerns about the increasing use of security forces to suppress student activism in Ghana, a country once known for its strong protections of campus free expression. Several Ghanaian civil society organizations, including the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, condemned the arrests as part of a troubling pattern of administrative overreach at public universities.