By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Fear has gripped some parents and guardians of pupils and students of some primary and secondary schools in Anambra State, following the surge of ‘Snake Bite’ game in the schools.
The game, which was recently reported in some primary and secondary schools in Delta State, was said to be a brand of initiation into cultism, which came in the guise of game.
An activist, Gwamnishu Harrison first raised alarm of the alleged initiation on his social media pages last week, when he said the initiation had so far been performed on over sixty Primary/Secondary School students in a private school in Asaba, Delta State capital.
It was gathered that people whom the said initiation had been performed on have a mark that looks like that of a snake on the back of their palm.
It was therefore an observation of such mark on the hands of some primary school pupils in Oba, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State that created panic and instilled fear in the hearts of many.
According to a video currently trending on the social media, a student of the Return of the Kings Primary School, Oba, who was seen with the mark on his hand, has also performed the said initiation on about four of his co-pupils of the same school, who, in turn, performed same on others.
While calling on parents to keep a close eye on their children, a concerned citizen, Comrade Ndubuisi Mmaduekwe, who ran a commentary on the video, also called on the Anambra State Government to wake up and take decisive action to prevent further escalation of the said initiation.
“Underaged primary school students initiate themselves into cultism. Wahala, Government needs to wake up and take decisive action before cultism submerged the fabric and foundation of future hopes,” he wrote on a short note that accompanies the video.
When contacted on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu said the video had been sent to the Divisional Police Officer,
Oba, for further investigation.
He said, “Given this video, the video has been sent to DPO Oba, to go to the school so that he can find out what transpired.
“Meanwhile, I have not received any report on any school cult initiation ongoing, please,” he said.
Efforts to get the reactions and clarification of the State Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, on the matter proved abortive, as her number was not connecting, while she did not also respond to messages of enquiries sent to her concerning the matter.
