Students turn to crimes in Margibi

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr.

Students from a number of high schools in Margibi County, including the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) are involved in criminal activities both on their campuses and in communities, Police in the county report.

The students are from about four secondary schools in Kakata, Margibi usually engaged in the acts during the day and at night hours.

According to the Police, students from the Booker Washington Institute, Lango Lappaye High School, Giddings Polytechnic Academy and Shella Love Foundation, among others are involved.

Margibi Police Commander Dixon Paul Kemokai named theft of property, drug abuse, juvenile sex, and snatching of cell phones, among others are crimes being committed by the students.

Commander Kemokai said the students’ complaints are usually taken to the police station either by school authorities, schoolmates, classmates, and community residents and that record with the police proves that the students are from the identified schools in the county.

 When this paper contacted the authorities of the schools separately, they all confirmed the police reports about their institutions.

The BWI through its spokesperson Sam Sumo Barber, who is currently on annual leave, said though he does not have any report of such from the Office of the Vice Principal for Students Services, often when issues of such happened on campus, administration usually takes necessary steps required to avoid a repeat.

Lango Lappaye High School Principal, Mr. Morris Farweneh narrated to the NEW DAWN that they normally expel students involved in criminal activities.

Principal Farweneh revealed that in 2022, administration expelled about three students and this year, additional four students have been expelled for criminal activities.

He said there are lot of bad boys who enroll in the school with the intent just to steal and tarnish the institution’s reputation, but there is a counselor on campus who talks to the students to keep them on a rightful path.

Mr. Farweneh continued that those students who go for counseling and change their attitudes are allowed to stay in the school, while the ones unwilling to change are expelled.

Giddings Polytechnic Academy through its Chief Executive Officer, Sekou Kanneh said in line with the school’s handbook, the administration expelled a few students some time ago for theft, and since then there has never been a recurrence so their action serves as a deterrence for other students.

However, CEO Kanneh called on schools in Margibi to hire counselors, who will be responsible to help in talking to the students that may want to go astray as his institution is now doing.

Shella Love Foundation Administration said about five years ago one of their students was involved in theft, but denied that the latest report by the police.

Meanwhile, police in Margibi are calling on school administrators to enforce their handbooks and work with communities, parents and the LNP in finding ways to curtail criminal acts of students in the county.