From Didimoko A. Didimoko
No fewer than three students were severely injured, and a dozen others sustained varying degrees of injuries following a stampede at the Federal Government College in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday evening.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts of the incident revealed that the melee was sparked off by the alleged theft of a laptop belonging to one of the FGC’s teachers,
“The teacher apparently gave the workstation to a student for safekeeping, but it was later reported that it had been stolen,” a parent who asked not to be named, said.
It was further learnt that the teacher engaged the Man ‘O’ War Brigade, a paramilitary security group in the school, who unleashed horsewhips on the students randomly.
One parent, simply identified as Francesca, said, “My son came home panting heavily with a running nose, and this has triggered his asthma situation.”
Meanwhile, the incident has pitched the parents against the school authorities.
Our sources said the face-off was triggered in the PTA WhatsApp when the administrators of the group allegedly tried to stifle the complaints of some members who vehemently condemned the incident.
“The administrators were deleting posts and voice notes that condemned the school’s action, this did not go down well with others who challenged them to take similar actions against breaches by the school authorities.”
Another member of the group complained, “Things like this need to be checked as it is proper to put the health of over 80 pupils at risk for whatever reason.”
The school authority was yet to react to the incident at the time of this report on Thursday afternoon.
