Police to man schools as student stabs classmate to death in Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has said it will henceforth deploy its surveillance unit in schools following the killing of a student. 

A Senior Secondary School 3 student, Samuel Effiong Archibong, of Aka Community Secondary, Uyo, had reportedly stabbed his classmate, 18-year-old James Elija Adoke, to death on Thursday.

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It was said that Adoke was stabbed to death following a misunderstanding between him and Archibong, alleged to be a cultist.

Following the incident which created pandemonium in the school, the state government closed down the school.

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Andrew Amiengheme, who condemned the act, said henceforth, surveillance teams would be kept in schools known for incidences of violence.

Amiengheme stated that fights after school hours would have been worse if the police command had not stationed patrol teams in some secondary schools to ensure that students can go home safely after closing hours.

In a press statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Uyo, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko Macdon, stated that schools were supposed to be a secure and habitable centres of excellence and knowledge acquisition.

“It is again regrettable, that on 10/03/2022, a student of Aka Community Secondary, one Samuel Effiong Achibong, stabbed his mate, 18 years old James Elija Adoke to death.

“This is not the first time we have witnessed an act of this nature and is totally unacceptable.

“The Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme (fdc), is miffed and has condemned the barbaric act.

“As a command, we have to send patrol teams to some secondary schools after closing hours to ensure that students can go home safely, else a fight may ensue is not only painful but condemnable,” the CP stated.

The Commissioner of Police called on parents to instil values in their children, and urged school authorities to promptly report students suspected to have traits of cultism and misdemeanour.

He said the command’s special surveillance units would henceforth check excesses of students before they escalate.