Anambra Closes School After Vigilantes Torture Principal and Vice Principal
The Anambra State Government has ordered the immediate and temporary closure of Community Secondary School, Awor-Ezimuzor, located in Ezinifite, Nnewi South Local Government Area. This follows alarming reports of a local vigilante group unlawfully detaining the school’s principal and vice principal.
According to reports, the two school administrators were arrested and detained by the community’s vigilante group for three days under harsh conditions, without access to food, water, or toilet facilities.
While the exact reasons for their arrest remain unclear, the state government described the incident as deeply disturbing and a violation of human rights.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, announced the school’s closure, citing the need to guarantee the safety of the principal, vice principal, staff, and students.
She emphasized that the school would remain closed until adequate security measures were in place and the well-being of all individuals connected to it was assured.
As part of the response, the commissioner has summoned key stakeholders for an urgent meeting to address the incident.
Those invited include the Chairman and Secretary of the Post Primary Schools Service Commission, the board member representing the Nnewi zone, the Zonal Director of Nnewi zone, the school’s management, and the President-General of Awor-Ezimuzor, Ezinifite Town Union.
Chuma-Udeh expressed concern for the students, many of whom are currently in the middle of their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), noting that the traumatic event could affect their academic performance.
She urged all stakeholders to approach the matter with the highest level of seriousness and urgency to restore normalcy and ensure such an incident does not recur.
