Tension boiled over at the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, when a student protest against fee hikes and poor welfare services escalated into violent clashes with the police.
What began as a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of students quickly spiraled into chaos after police attempted to disperse the crowd. Eyewitnesses reported that officers fired warning shots as students burned tyres and hurled stones. In the end, at least three students were injured—two sustaining head wounds and another a leg injury.
The students accused the university’s management of financial mismanagement and neglect of basic welfare services. Despite paying levies for sanitation, medical care, and infrastructure development, they claim that:
Hostels and lecture halls remain in poor condition.
Medical services are unavailable when needed.
Sanitation across campus is deplorable.
Fees continue to rise without accountability.
One student lamented: “We pay all these fees, but we don’t see the results. The toilets are dirty, the water is inconsistent, and when we go to the clinic, there are no medicines.”
The forceful response by the police has drawn sharp criticism from the public. The NPP Youth Wing in Tamale described the action as “unacceptable and undemocratic,” insisting that students have the right to protest peacefully without fear of violence.
Student leaders are demanding:
An immediate reversal of the new fees.
A full audit of TaTU’s financial management.
Urgent steps to improve welfare and sanitation facilities.
Civil society groups are also urging the government to step in and facilitate dialogue between the university’s leadership and the students to restore calm and rebuild trust.
