The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, convened a high-level strategic meeting with the Commissioner for Education, senior ministry officials, and all secondary school principals in the state to address the worrying rise in fake news fabrication by students and other emerging security threats in schools.
In his remarks, CP Azare expressed deep concern over recent incidents in which students created and circulated fake security alerts, edited videos, unfounded allegations, and misleading social media posts aimed at causing panic and disrupting academic activities.
He warned that such acts constitute criminal offenses under the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, Act, stressing that the Police Command will no longer tolerate them.
The Police Commissioner further revealed an increase in student involvement in cyber-related offenses including impersonation, internet fraud, online bullying, scam activities, cultism, drug abuse, bullying, gangsterism, and sexual misconduct.
He described these trends as dangerous and unacceptable within the learning environment.
To curb these threats, CP Azare announced that the Police Command will intensify patrols around schools, deploy more school safety officers, strengthen intelligence gathering, and ensure swift response to reported incidents.
He cautioned that any student caught fabricating or spreading harmful falsehoods, engaging in cultism, drug abuse, bullying, or any form of cybercrime will face legal consequences.
As part of immediate security measures, he issued new directives to all principals mandating them to:
Conduct compulsory sensitization on fake news, cyber responsibility, and digital safety.
Report all security-related incidents promptly to the Police Command and the Ministry of Education.
Strengthen internal monitoring systems, including counseling units and School Safety Committees.
Reinforce supervision of students’ access to mobile phones and online platforms.
Identify at-risk students early and engage parents, counselors, and security agencies.
Cooperate fully with Police Community Safety Officers assigned to their zones.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Umoh, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring safe and conducive learning environments across all schools.
He said the Ministry would continue to enforce compliance with school policies, enhance administrative oversight, and collaborate with the Police on statewide awareness programmes.
During the meeting, the Principal of Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron, Mrs. Emma Ubongabasi James, clarified that there was no kidnap incident in the school last week, describing the viral report as a hoax engineered by a 15-year-old student seeking social media attention.
CP Azare assured stakeholders that Akwa Ibom remains one of the safest states in the country. He reiterated the Command’s commitment to working closely with the Ministry of Education and school authorities to sustain a secure, disciplined, and digitally responsible learning environment.