Akwa Ibom: Panic in Oron over rumoured kidnap of students

By Okon Okon

Panic erupted in Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom on Friday following rumours that bandits had broken into two schools in the area and abducted students, leaving some dead.

The school where the incident took place were identified as Marry Hanney Girls secondary and Ever Bright Star Academy Oron .

It was gathered that a student of Mary Hanney Girls Secondary School, located beside Ever Bright Star Academy, had claimed she heard a gunshot from the Academy and alleged that kidnappers had taken some students away.

The rumour triggered fear among students in schools within the area, causing some of them to flee their classrooms.

Responding, the Akwa Police command, through its Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, advised members of the public to disregard the news as it was fake.

According to John, the command received information that bandits broken into Marry Hanney Girls secondary and Ever Bright Star Academy Oron and abducted students, after a serious stampede, leaving some dead.

She said that the command promptly deployed some personnel to the the scene.

“From the report gotten from the officers who visited the scene of the, the information was false,” she said.

Also findings by correspondents who visited both schools revealed that the information was false.

Mr Lawrence Esang, Principal, Ever Bright Star Academy, dismissed the report as fake.

According to him, “the information that some of our students have been kidnapped is false. I supervised the school gates this morning until after 9 a.m., when the exam bell rang. Nothing like that happened.

“The students are writing their exams peacefully. We invited the police when we saw many parents trooping into the compound so they could help calm the situation. Everywhere is peaceful now.”

A parent, Mrs Margaret Akanekpe, said she rushed to the school immediately after hearing the rumour.

“When I arrived, I did not see anything. There was no casualty, no problem. The environment is peaceful,” she said.

Another parent, Mrs Affiong Jerry, whose child attends Mary Hanney Girls Secondary School, said she panicked on hearing the rumour but was relieved to find no incident at the school when she arrived.

The Zonal Director of Education for Oron and Urue Offong/Oruko LGAs, Mr Isaiah Okwong who was also seen on ground, described the rumour as unfounded.

“All our students are complete. The student who started the rumour has been identified and will be sanctioned on Monday.

“We have locked in the boarders and released other students to their parents to reduce tension,” he said.(NAN)