Secondary school student stabs classmate to death in Akwa Ibom, Government shuts school

A secondary school in Akwa Ibom has been shut by the state government following the killing of a student by a suspected cultist.

The victim and an SS2 student of Community Comprehensive Secondary School in Aka Offot, Uyo, Samuel Archibong, was stabbed to death by one Samuel Archibong.

According to reports, Archibong, a former student of the school who left over cult-related issues, resurfaced on Thursday to commit the crime.

A source said there was a minor disagreement soon after his arrival between him and Elijah and in the ensuing scuffle, Archibong reportedly brought out a knife and stabbed the victim to death, and fled the scene.

“He ran away after stabbing James to death,” the source said. “The angry students (who went after him) would have killed him if they had met him at home. They must have gone to his father’s house to revenge their colleague’s death.”

While condemning the incident in a statement, the Commissioner for Education in Akwa Ibom, Idongesit Etiebet, ordered that the institution be shut.

“We advise parents to ensure their wards remain indoor until the ministry and the school wade into the matter to restore normalcy,” Etiebet said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Odiko Macdon, who also confirmed the incident described it as barbaric and regrettable.

“It is again regrettable, that yesterday March 11, 2022, a student of Aka Community Secondary School, one Samuel Effiong Achibong, stabbed his mate, 18 years old James Elijah Adoke, to death.

“This is not the first time we have witnessed an act of this nature and it is totally unacceptable,” he said in a statement on Friday.

“As a command, we had to send patrol teams to some secondary schools after closing hours to ensure that students could go home safely, else a fight may ensue. This is not only painful but condemnable.

“The Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme, is miffed and has condemned the barbaric act. He has called on parents to enshrine germane family values while school authorities are to quickly and discreetly report suspected students with traits of cultism and misdemeanour.”

According to Macdon, the police commissioner promised to deploy special surveillance units to check excesses of students and nib them in the bud before untoward incidents happen.

He also condoled with the family of the victim and assured them that the perpetrator would be brought to book.