By Ewa Innocent, The Sight News
Abakaliki: The Ebonyi state commissioner for Internal Security, Border Peace, Hon. Stanley Emegha, has debunked Newspaper report that an explosive suspected to be bomb injured a Senior Secondary 2 student of Glory High School, Azugwu, Abakaliki.
Briefing newsmen on the matter, the commissioner said the report which was carried by some national dailies was false, as it was a mere case of fireworks which a student, Chibuike Chukwu, the victim smuggled into the school.
He said he immediately rushed to the scene when he got the report, only to discover that it was a case of knockout, and not bomb as erroneously reported, and warned journalists to always verify their reports.
His words,”It was very unfortunate that unverified report was carried out. A professional Journalist doesn’t base its report on hearsay.
“What happened yesterday at Glory High school, Abakaliki, I witnessed from the beginning to the end, because as the security architecture of the state, there is nothing that will happen, under two minutes. I am there to get first hand information.
“On getting to the school,we discovered that a student smuggled in fireworks and as he was playing with it in the class,the thing exploded and got him wounded.
“The shock of the explosion came hard on other students playing around and two students who laid unconscious were taken to the hospital together with Chibuike whose left palm was cut off by the explosion.
“I was still in the school when the two students regained their consciousness and came back to school to take their exams.
I stayed there to ensure that normalcy returned to the school and they concluded their exams today.
“I am calling on those that deal on fireworks to know that from tomorrow if we get that, they will suffer the full weight of the law. Knockouts can spark fire on buildings, stores, and even bush, against the bush burning we are preaching.
“Once again, we are calling on traders that deal on fireworks to deal with other trades and leave that, especially in Ebonyi”.
The Police Public Relation Officer(PPRO)Ebonyi state,DSP Loveth Odah when contacted, confirmed the incident, but said there was nothing like bomb explosion,but a case of knockout.
