Secondary school students go berserk in Edo, burn principal’s office

THERE was pandemonium in Idogbo Secondary School, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, as students of the school in viral video seen yesterday, went haywire, setting a section of the school ablaze, just as they vandalised the principal’s office.

They were said to have also harassed a policeman on duty in the school while the students were writing exams.

The students were seen chasing a man believed to be the principal, who outran them.

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In anger, the rampaging students returned to the school premises and destroyed the principal’s office.

It was gathered that the incident happened last Friday and that the students resorted to violence, when one of them had an altercation with one of the policemen drafted to the school to maintain law and order and in the process, overpowered the policeman, who was stripped by the irate students.

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A source in the school, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the school management invited security personnel in anticipation of security breaches in the school as it had become a regular occurrence, especially during festive and examination seasons.

He said: “Days before the exams started, we were battling with students throwing bangers and other explosives in the compound.

“So, when the exams started on December 3, 2021, we invited some policemen and vigilante members in case of any eventuality. So, because we anticipated that there could be a disturbance, the first set of policemen came while we waited for other police officers.

When contacted, the Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bello Kontongs, said: “49 students were in custody “for willful damage of government property. None has been changed to court yet.”

When this reporter visited the school, yesterday, he was chased away by a man with a machete, who claimed to be the security man and refused any picture of the compound to be taken.