Akwa Ibom: Technical College students battle Policemen, many injured

By Aluu Vincent

 

The peaceful ambiance of Uyo Metropolis was again disrupted by students of Government Technical College, Ewet Uyo located along Nwaniba road following reports of clashes between students and the Nigeria Police. This led to disruption of academic activities in the school as teachers and students caught in the melee scampered for safety, scaling the school fence to escape being hurt or hit by stray bullet.

Our reporter who monitored the event reports that motorists, shop owners and other road users took cover for safety owing the exchange of bullets between the students and the Police.

An eye witness who spoke on condition of anonymity said trouble started when Police stormed Technical College at Nwaniba to effect arrest of some students suspected to be cultists. This was strongly resisted by some cultist students who resisted arrest. Another eye witness said it was clash between rival cult groups; from Uyo High school who came for reprisal to Technical College. Yet another eye witness who described the students as Marlian cultists said the Police came to arrest an identified student cultist but was prevented by students who felt the wrong student was being arrested.

Some of the students wore red scarfs around their head while others blocked the school gate and prevented the Police from gaining access to the school premises. The situation degenerated into a crisis leading to rampage by the students who went about destroying shops along Nwaniba Road, Cars of unsuspecting motorists. Police officers were attacked with stones and other weapons; in the process, scores were wounded including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ewet Housing Police Station. The Office of the Principal, Pastor David Udo, that of his Vice and other buildings were touched by the rampaging students.

The timely intervention of the Nigeria Police brought the situation under control as some arrests were effected. Also, 34 students whose names were compiled through intelligence sources as being masterminds of the dastardly act have been placed on indefinite suspension. To forestall further breakdown of law and order, the state government has closed down the school indefinitely; asked the students to vacate the school premises within 24 hours while urging the teaching and non-teaching staff to daily report for work. The Education Commissioner also announced plans to set up an investigation committee to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Prof. Nse Essien who spoke while addressing staff and students of the affected schools, condemned the incident in strong terms and vowed to support any School Principal whose student would be arrested for indiscipline or involvement in cult activities.

Prof Essien said, “Henceforth, any property you destroy, it is mandatory you will pay for it. It is high time you started behaving like students. Your school has become so notorious for fomenting trouble everywhere. And if you are caught, you will spend some time in detention, and anyone found culpable will be dismissed to serve as a deterrent to others”

Essien who described the students’ attitude as shameful and huge embarrassment, stressed that time was up for the government to institute peace and discipline in trouble-prone public schools in the state. He charged teachers in public schools across the state to understand that their primary responsibility is to produce quality products which comes through their guidance. He promised to monitor the School on a regular basis to ensure there was compliance with government directive over the situation, saying that no sane government would fold its hands and watch its students involved in actions detrimental to the society.

“This government is strongly averse to cultism, truancy, inter School clashes and other forms of vices, and ready to root out the bad eggs among them to restore sanity to the system. Akwa Ibom Government efforts in the education sector are targeted at producing responsible students who will be useful to society in future, therefore students must concentrate on their studies and refrain from acts capable of damaging their future. The problem here is not too difficult to handle. It is to identify and get rid of them. I will be on your side to instill discipline here. Teachers are disciplinarians and are expected to prove their mettle”, Essien stressed.

Our reporter discovered that this is not the first time clash of this nature is taking place. In fact, cult clashed has become a recurring decimal in secondary schools around Uyo Metropolis. Recall that in October, 2019, cult clash erupted in the same Government Technical College leading to the destruction of properties while scores were wounded.

Also, in November 2019, a total of 71 students from Government Secondary School, Etoi in Uyo Local Government Area were suspended from school for cult related activities and for attempting to burn down the school buildings. They also held the Principal hostage for several hours and attacked security personnel in the school.

Further worried by the resurgence of cult activities in schools despite the Cultism and other Violent Behaviour Prohibition Order 2018, Member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly at Thursday February 20 plenary, brought a motion on the immediate intervention on the scourge of cultism in Akwa Ibom secondary schools.

Presenting the motion, the Ibiono Ibom born lawmaker noted with disappointment that secondary schools meant to impact knowledge and good moral values in children to enable them become responsible citizens has become breeding ground for cultists. Ekpo said instead of biros, papers and books, a section of the students now carry cutlasses, axes, guns and other weapons. He further said that offers by secret cult groups have become alluring to students, giving them false hope of illusion and sense of belonging to a true family.

The House rose in unity to condemn such trends and called on the state government to invoke relevant portions of extant laws to deal the situation. The House also called on relevant education agencies to take proactive measures to stamp out cultism in secondary schools.

Worried by the activities of cult related activities, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel had in March 2018 signed into force, the Cultism and other Violent Behaviour Prohibition Order 2018 with effect from March 12, 2018. Governor Emmanuel said the security issues reported in Etim Ekpo, Ukanafun and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas of the state necessitated the security re-enforcements.

The governor who drew his powers from Section 70 of the Criminal Code Law,Cap 38 Volume 2 laws of Akwa Ibom (2000), said the law was binding and will be enforced in all the 31 local government areas of the state. Earlier, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, lamented that the problem of cultism and other unlawful societies in the state had become a major source of concern to the Governor and the people thus necessitating the prohibition and ban on the operations and recognition or activities of all cult group. The Justice Commissioner said the Secret Cult Prohibition Law provides a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment for the culprit. Nwoko decried the growing number of groups in the society in secondary schools and even at other strata of the society.

Nwoko called on every member of the society including various communities, schools, school principals, to cooperate and support relevant security agencies with the needed information to identify the operations of these group and bring them to book.

Some members of the public interviewed called on government to commence immediate implementation of laws against cultism. Others advocated the idea of parents being good examples at home stating that children tend to learn faster from what they see at the family level. Dr. Christopher Okon, a Mass Communication Lecturer at Communication Arts Department, University of Uyo, made a strong case for Chaplains to be posted to public schools in Akwa Ibom to help nurture children in the way of the Lord.

It is hoped that with the present crisis, the state government will rise up to the occasion, invoke its relevant powers and stem the scourge of cultism in schools, bring perpetrators and their backers to book and ensure that our schools become a place for learning and acquiring knowledge, molding of character, safe haven for future leaders of tomorrow and not a place for cultists, carrying of guns, cutlasses, and other dangerous weapons.