Akwa Ibom Government has shut Uyo High School in the state over threat to the life of the principal and members of his family.
Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board (SSEB), Dr. Ekaete Ebong Okon, announced this in Uyo on Thursday, June 24, after suspected cultists gave the principal, Elder Michael Iwok, a 24-hour ultimatum to release their members or face dire consequences.
Straightnews gathered that some students arrested over allegation of involvement in cultism were remanded in prison custody, an action that emboldened their members to threaten the principal to release them.
Consequently, the cultists were said to have dropped such fetish items as fresh pepper, palm oil droplets, peeled cooked egg, palm front, a piece of red cloth, tied rope and ten naira note as well as two threat letters at the entrance of the staircase that leads to the office of the Principal and senior secondary three classes.
One of the threat notes reads; “Mr Michael Iwok, we give you 24hrs to release our boys or we fall you. Remember we know your house, wife and children.”
It was gathered that some students who were suspected to be cultists were suspended by the school authority while some senior secondary two students who could not meet up with the school requirements to be promoted into senior secondary three have on several occasions disguised themselves as students of the school in school uniforms unleashing mayhem to the school, students, residents and passers-by on regular basis.
It was further gathered that a filling station opposite the school was vandalised and the suspended students along some hoodlums were identified through the company’s closed cable television cameras installed within the premises.
Some of the suspects who vandalised the filling station were arrested by the police while others are still at large.