Accra, May 17, GNA - Police on Tuesday arrested 22 youths in Madina, near Accra, who were involved in a demonstration in which they destroyed property in a dispute over a plot of land that was being used as a recreation ground for Muslims and Christians.

The Madina Divisional Police, with the help of colleagues from the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, brought the situation under control after some youth from Madina Zongo embarked on a demonstration over ownership of the disputed land following a court ruling.

The land was also being used as a lorry station for tipper trucks and other vehicles. The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told reporters that the ownership of the lan= d was resolved in court, which ruled that it belonged to the Faith Community Baptist Complex School at Madina Zongo.

The rampaging youths from the Madina Zongo community, apparently not satisfied, destroyed property of the school worth several thousands of Ghan= a Cedis. DCOP Bio Atinga said louvers of the Boyer University College, which wa= s also situated on the same premises, were destroyed, while the wall behind the school was broken by the angry demonstrators.

The Nursery Department of the School was filled with stones thrown int= o the nursery while the children were taking breakfast.

DCOP Bio Atinga said suspects, who had been arrested, would be investigated and those found culpable would face the full rigors of the law= .. Calm has been restored and the Regional Police Commander said the school would be guarded around the clock for the time being. The Madina Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Paul Ayitey, said at about 0730 hours on Tuesday, the Madina Police receive= d information that some youth of Madina Zongo had embarked on a demonstration= ..

He said before the demonstration began, they locked the gate of the Faith Community Baptist School with a padlock.

CSP Ayitey said when police arrived they broke the padlock to give the pupils the opportunity to attend school. He said after a while the demonstrators blocked the main Legon-Madina road and set ablaze a car tyre. CSP Ayitey said the youth mounted loud speakers on two vehicles with which they urged sympathizers to join them in the demonstration. He said when the Madina Police noticed that the number of the youths was increasing, they called for re-enforcement from the Regional Police Command, which arrived and assisted in quelling the demonstration.

CSP Ayitey said the demonstration disrupted a Senior High School Certificate Examination being written in the school block. The windshields of two police vehicles - GP 2166 and GP 2756 - were damaged, two private cars with registration numbers GW 2747 S and GR 3340 Z - parked in the yard of the school were also damaged. The irate youth also went to the Madina Police Station and hurled stones at the personnel.