The La-Dadekotopon Municipal Education Directorate has taken swift action to investigate the disturbance that took place at Labone Senior High School on Thursday.
Viral videos circulating on social media captured chaotic scenes on the school campus as police resorted to firing warning shots to restore order.
In response to the incident, Habiba Kotoma, the La-Dadekotopon Municipal Education Director, addressed the public through a Citi News interview, debunking reports suggesting that the school was under siege by members of the township.
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She clarified that the reports were inaccurate and the situation is currently being thoroughly investigated.
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“We haven’t gathered enough facts. We have spoken with only the junior student so tomorrow (July 27), we will meet with the senior student so we can hear his side of the story and we can get the true fact of the incident. As of now, it is one-sided. He [a junior student] said he bought packs of food and the senior seized them and that got him angry so he decided to fight with the senior. Town folks were not involved. It is the students…his friends came to help him that’s all. They are students also but in form 2 who are on break right now. Yes, investigations have commenced” she said.
She indicated that no arrest was made “because it is within the school, they brought the situation under control even before the police came in” stressing that they bolted away upon hearing of the police presence.
According to some eyewitnesses, the incident on Wednesday took place around 3:20 pm and created a scene of chaos as persons believed to be members of the township invaded the school wielding cutlasses and other weapons.
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“The incident started around 3:20 pm there about. We were at the park playing basketball when we saw the Labone students running so we turn back to look. We saw some town boys with cutlasses and knives that got people scared and afraid so we all started running because we don’t know what they might do. There, the Labone students also came with a cutlass to stop us from going to the park. Then the police came to sort the issue out. Everybody was scared, and panicking…girls were fainting. A student came out of the classroom shouting” one of them said.
A resident living in close proximity to the school in recounting the events to Citi News said the individuals believed to be from the nearby township stormed the school brandishing cutlasses and other weapons and were allegedly seeking retribution against a senior student who had reportedly assaulted a junior within the school premises
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“We were around when we saw the alleged members from the town invade the school premise. They were holding cutlasses, stones and other things. We were unaware of what happened but the alleged members of the township really beat up the senior student. They were initially calling him a thief but that was later rebutted. A student informed us that a senior colleague had beaten a junior who allegedly initiated the retaliation” he said.
At the time of Citi News’ visit to the school, calm had been restored as normal school activities were ongoing.
Some students who witnessed the incident indicated that the police had been to the school earlier in the afternoon of Thursday to check on the security situation on campus.
Meanwhile, school authorities have been tightlipped on the matter. Citi News observed, however, that the administrators of the school held meetings with the La-Dadekotopon Municipal Education Director after she visited the school.