ETIM EFFIONG
The Akwa Ibom State government has shut down Uyo High School over threats by some students to harm the school principal.
The students, alleged to be cultists, were said to have threatened to harm the principal if she did not recall a suspended student.
It was learnt that the students on Wednesday morning, displayed some fetish items at the entrance of the principal’s office.
Following the development, the chairman, Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board (SSEB), Dr. Ekaette Ebong Okon announced the immediate closure of the school.
FirstNews gathered that items such as fresh pepper, palm oil droplets, peeled/cooked egg, palm front, red cloth, tied rope, N10 note as well as some inscriptions, were found at the entrance of the staircase that leads to the office of the principal and senior secondary three classes.
People have already been calling for the school to be shut down following cultists and criminal activities some of the students in recent times.
The school authority recently suspended some students suspected to be cultists. It was also learnt that some senior secondary two students, who could not be promoted into SS III over their poor performance had on many occasions disguised themselves as students of the school in school uniforms and unleash mayhem to students, residents and passers-by on a regular basis.
The were said to have vandalised a Mobil fuel station opposite the school and were caught by a CCTV at the fuel station.
While some of them involved in the crime were arrested by the police, others are still at large.
A senior government official (name withheld), it was further learnt, following the incident advised that the school be completely closed by the state government and all the teachers and other staffers redeployed to other schools to avert incessant crises in the school.
The earlier activities of the students coupled with the threat to the principal, forced the state government to order for its shutdown.