A 15-year-old pupil at the Community Secondary School, Akenfa-Epie, in the
Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, identified only as
Emmanuel, has been arrested with a gun.
Emmanuel was allegedly arrestedon Mondaywith a locally-made pistol
during lecture hours.
It was learnt that the teenager was apprehended while in school uniform by
some indigenes of Akenfa community, led by a vigilance group, and handed
over to the police, Punch reports.
The pupil was reportedly searched by the vigilante youths after he was
accused of involvement in some criminal activities, including robbery.
The school authorities, however, denied that the suspect was a pupil at
the school.
A member of the school management team, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, added that Emmanuel was not arrested in the school.
He said, The boy was not arrested in the classroom. The uniform he wore
is common among pupils in the state and so, it is not correct to say that
he is a pupil at the school.
The arrested teenager was handed over to the Akenfa Police Station for
onward transfer to the command headquarters.
The spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat,
confirmed the arrest of the teenager.
He said, The suspected cult member was arrested with a locally-made
pistolon Mondayaround9.30am.
The suspect is 15 years old and a resident of Agudama area of Yenagoa.
Investigation is ongoing.
It will be recalled that four teenage gunmen, suspected to be members of
an unknown cult, recently attacked a secondary school in the state
capital.
The gunmen, who brandished guns, caused pandemonium in the school as
confused pupils and staff ran in different directions for safety.
The invasion of the school came a few hours after the Bayelsa State
Government, through the Ministry of Education, expelled seven pupils over
their alleged membership of a cult.
The government had admitted to the existence of cult activities in both
primary and secondary schools in the state, saying it was making efforts
to address the problem.