The Edo Police Command has detained 45 students in connection with an attack on teachers and police officers at Idogbo Secondary School in the state’s Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.
SP Bello Katongs, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the arrest on Tuesday in Benin.
He claims that the pupils were apprehended in the jungle, where they were hiding.
According to Katongs, several of the detained students have been arraigned in court.
On Friday, students at the school went on a rampage, trashing cars and other school buildings.
The students also allegedly set fire to some offices and assaulted police officers who were stationed at the school to preserve law and order.
A source blamed the crisis on the unwillingness of the students to write terminal examinations.
“As our tradition here is during the end of every term examinations, we do invite security officers to avoid any breakdown of law and order.
“The exam was to finish on Dec. 10, that is some days before vacation.
“But, days before the start of examinations, we were battling with students throwing fireworks in the school compound.
“When the examinations started, we invited some policemen and vigilante members in case of any eventuality.
“So because we anticipated that there could be disturbance, the first set of policemen came, while we waited for others.
“Suddenly we noticed students chasing one of the policemen on duty around the compound and some of his colleagues came to his rescue.
“Before we knew it, other students began to throw stones and other weapons.
“When the situation became uncontrollable, teachers started scampering for their lives and the students went berserk, destroying everything on sight.
“The Police sought for reinforcement, but yet they couldn’t control the crisis until men of the Department of State Service (DSS) arrived and scared them with gunshots,” he said.
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