General News of Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Source: GNA

Teacher slashes student for stealing sugar cane

Effiduase(Ash), April 2, GNA - Violence erupted last night at the Effiduase Senior High School (SHS) at Asante Effiduase, after a teacher inflicted deep matchet wounds on a student for entering his backyard sugar cane plantation to steal.

Opoku Agyapong, the form two student who had deep cuts on the head, face and back had been treated and discharged at the Effiduase Hospital where he was rushed to.

According to sources close to the school, at around 10pm last night when the students had close from "prep" (night studies), three form two students were said to have entered the plantation to cut some of the sugar cane to eat at the dormitory as they were hungry. But Mr Pius Abeka, a teacher residing in the school who owns the plantation, due to alleged incessant stealing of the crop by the students, had laid ambush at one corner of the garden with his wife and children.

On seeing the students, he suddenly pounced on them but two of them managed to flee.

The source said Mr Abeka then slashed Opoku Agyapong with the sharp cutlass he wielded, cutting him on the head, face and back, inflicting deep wounds in the process. The students therefore went 'mad' and caused some noisy disturbances when news about the incidence got to the dormitories, the source said.

Fearing for his life, Mr Abeka reported himself to the Effiduase Police, where he took refuge till the next morning. Agyapong has meanwhile been sent home, while his two friends, Oti Foster and Amo Michael were still at school. The Effiduase Police who corroborated the story is continuing with investigations.

Meanwhile, Mr Sarfo Kantaka, the District Director of Education, would convene a school board meeting tomorrow on the issue. Calm has since been restored in the school and teaching and learning is going on as normal.