Some students of Uyo High School, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, suspected to be cultists on Thursday issued a 24 hour ultimatum to the Principal, Mr. Michael Etuk, seeking for the immediate release of their colleagues in police custody.
Fetish objects like fresh pepper, palm oil droplets, peeled cooked egg, palm frond, a piece of red cloth, knotted rope and currency notes were dropped at the entrance of the Principal’s office.
Similar items and several inscriptions, believed to have been dropped by suspected cultists, were also seen at the entrance to the Senior Secondary 3 classes.
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Idobgesit Etiebet, confirmed the story, saying she had ordered the state Chairman of the Secondary School Board, Dr. Ekaette Ebong Okon, to close the school for security reasons.
Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board (SSEB), who announced the immediate closure of the school, said it was in a bid to avoid any violence.
A source closed to the school told the media that trouble started in the school about three weeks ago when some students were fighting within themselves after school hours in front of an ExxonMobil fuel station adjacent to school gate.
It was gathered that some staff of the fuel station tried to caution the students, while others invaded its premises and destroyed the dispensers and other things.
Unknown to the students, the CCTV camera captured the scene as they were vandalizing the station making it easier for police to arrest six of them now in detention.
The Manager of the Petrol Station, Mbereobong Itoro Elijah, said several things were destroyed.
She said: “It happened about three weeks ago after schools dismissed for the day. Students were fighting in front of our station, which is opposite the school, and were running inside the station. My Director and I rushed out and saw them crowding here. We pleaded that they stop the fight.
“While we were pleading with one group inside the station, another group was throwing stones at our glasses and others were pulling down our Fuel Dispensers. We ran inside our office for safety.
“When police arrived the students ran away. Because we have CCTV cameras that captured them, six of them were later arrested after three weeks. They are now in detention.”
However, some suspected students reported to be members of a cult group have placed fetish items at the door step of their school Principal, Mr Michael Etuk, demanding that he effect the release of their colleagues from police detention or face stringent repercussions.
The items littered the floor along with placards and some inscriptions such as, “We give you 24hrs to release our boys or we fall you. Remember, we know your house, children and wife;” and “Mr. Principal, we always defend you during the fight with Technical College but you can’t defend us?”
Speaking to our correspondent, one of the Senior Secondary 2 students identified as Joseph expressed shock at what their colleagues did.
“All of us were shocked to see those fetish items. And the Principal asked all of us to go home. We don’t know what to do now.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko MacDon, when contacted on the matter said the closure of the school over threats by suspected cultists had nothing to do with the police.
