Akwa Ibom school vandalised by scavengers! Community demands urgent govt action to halt an escalating security crisis.
UYO, Akwa Ibom – In a shocking display of lawlessness, the Ekit Itam II community in Itu Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, has raised alarm bells over the relentless vandalism at St. Domino Primary School—a disturbing reflection of the systemic neglect in safeguarding Nigeria’s educational institutions.
With accusations of government inaction and rampant scavenging activities, the community’s pleas have now reached a boiling point, urging immediate intervention from state authorities.
The crisis unfolded along the bustling Uyo-Ikot Ekpene highway, where hoodlums, suspected to be opportunistic scavengers, have brazenly desecrated the school’s infrastructure.
According to Village Head Eteidung Aloysius Ebong, who spoke candidly to journalists in Uyo on Monday, the perpetrators have systematically stolen vital iron fittings from the school’s perimeter fence, leaving the compound dangerously exposed.
Ebong criticised the approach taken by Julius Berger—the company responsible for the highway project—which, he argued, only fenced the school’s frontage, inadvertently inviting criminal infiltration into the vulnerable rear sections.
This glaring security lapse has not only emboldened the miscreants but has also ignited a fierce debate on the broader implications for the country’s educational safety. “We are witnessing an erosion of community trust,” Ebong lamented.
“The absence of a complete security arrangement is tantamount to an open invitation for further criminal activities. It is high time the state government, under the leadership of Governor Umo Eno, takes decisive measures to restore order.”
The issue, however, is far from isolated. Emmanuel Ebong, the Village Council Chairman, emphasised that the scourge of scavengers—driven by the lure of scrap metal—has reached epidemic proportions.
In a particularly distressing account, community youth leader Dominic Edem recounted the shocking incident of a suspect being apprehended whilst vandalising the school’s roofing sheets, only to later threaten the very youths who caught him.
“Our community has resorted to nightly surveillance, yet the menace persists,” Edem revealed, underscoring the immense financial and emotional toll on local residents.
St. Domino Primary School’s Head Teacher, Courage Sunny Udom, painted a grim picture of everyday insecurity. With the school compound serving as an inadvertent thoroughfare for passers-by—even in the dead of night—the institution is now a magnet for criminal activity.
Udom’s chilling admission that he fears even routine maintenance tasks, such as fixing ceiling fans, reflects a deep-seated anxiety over the apparent lawlessness pervading the area.
This disturbing trend raises a pressing question: is the government’s laissez-faire attitude towards public security in these critical institutions inadvertently fostering a culture of impunity?
The repeated submission of letters by the community to the state government—with no substantive response—has only served to heighten public frustration. As the community rallies for better protection of its schools and public properties, it is evident that the current measures are grossly inadequate.
The Akwa Ibom crisis is more than an isolated act of vandalism—it is a symptom of a larger systemic failure. As educators, community leaders, and residents unite in their demand for immediate government intervention, the urgent need for comprehensive security reforms in public institutions cannot be overstated.
Without swift action, the cycle of vandalism and insecurity is poised to continue, imperilling not only the safety of our children but also the very future of Nigeria’s educational landscape.
With community voices growing louder by the day, the onus now lies with the state government to reaffirm its commitment to public safety and education. The time for half measures and excuses is long past; decisive action must now become the order of the day.
