Akwa Ibom Police Call on School Principals to Address Surge in Cybercrime and Cultism

Table of Contents

• Meeting with School Heads
• False Alarm Incident
• Increase in Cyber Offenses
• Proposed Security Measures
• Commitment to Safety
• Education Commissioner's Statement
• Principal's Confirmation

In response to reported incidents of fake news fabrication, cybercrime, cult activities, and other harmful behaviors in some secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, the State Police Command has called a meeting with principals and other school leaders to discuss strategies for addressing these issues.

This follows an incident where a secondary school student in Oron created a viral video falsely claiming a kidnapping at her school, which caused significant concern within the state.

During a joint strategic meeting with the Commissioner for Education at the Command’s headquarters in Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, on Tuesday, CP Azare urged the school leaders to caution their students that the creation or dissemination of false information is punishable under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act.

He emphasized that deliberately producing and distributing fake security alerts, edited videos, false accusations, and misleading social media posts to incite panic and disrupt educational activities is a criminal offense and subject to legal penalties.

The commissioner also pointed out that there has been a noticeable rise in students' involvement in cyber-related crimes, including impersonation, internet fraud, online bullying, and scams.

He assured the ministry and all school heads that the Command would enhance patrols around schools, deploy additional school safety officers, improve intelligence gathering, and ensure prompt responses to all reported incidents.

Moreover, he warned that any student found guilty of fabricating or spreading harmful falsehoods, participating in cult activities, bullying, drug abuse, or any form of cybercrime will face appropriate legal consequences.

The commissioner urged school leaders to implement mandatory awareness programs on fake news, cyber responsibility, and digital safety, as well as to report all security-related incidents to both the Police Command and the Ministry of Education.

Additional recommendations provided to the principals for bolstering security included strengthening internal monitoring teams, establishing counseling units and School Safety Committees, closely supervising students’ access to mobile phones and online platforms, identifying at-risk students early, and involving their parents, counselors, and security agencies.

Despite these challenges, the police commissioner stated that Akwa Ibom remains one of the safest states in Nigeria and pledged his commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to maintain a secure and digitally responsible school environment.

In his remarks at the meeting, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Umoh, reiterated the ministry’s dedication to ensuring safe and conducive learning environments throughout Akwa Ibom State.

He affirmed that the ministry would continue to enforce compliance with school policies, enhance administrative oversight, and work with the police to implement statewide awareness programs.

Additionally, the Principal of Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron, Mrs. Emma Ubongabasi James, confirmed that there was no kidnapping incident at the school last week, expressing regret that the viral hoax was a misguided attempt at gaining social media attention by a 15-year-old student.

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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