Public outrage is mounting in Federal Government College (FGC) Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, following the death of 12-year-old JSS 1 student Ufokobong Edwin Godwin, which his family and schoolmates attribute to severe bullying by a senior student.
The incident occurred shortly before the Easter holiday. According to accounts from students who shared the hostel with the deceased, an SS3 senior approached Ufokobong for provisions during terminal examinations. When the younger boy refused, saying he didn’t have enough to share, the senior allegedly hit him on the neck.
The blow reportedly caused Ufokobong to collapse into a coma, prompting other students to raise an alarm. The compound master responded, and the boy was rushed to a hospital. He later regained consciousness and was returned to school.
Disturbingly, the school authorities allegedly failed to inform Ufokobong’s parents about the incident when they came to pick him up for the holidays. The parents took him home unaware of the severity of the injury.At home, the boy began complaining of severe neck and throat pain.
His parents administered over-the-counter pain relief medication, believing it to be a minor issue. The condition worsened rapidly. On Easter Sunday, April 2026, Ufokobong was rushed to the hospital, where he died in the early hours of the morning (around 1:00 a.m.).Medical reports cited by those close to the family indicated that the boy died from complications linked to blood clots around his throat and neck area.
The family has called for immediate federal government intervention and a thorough investigation to ensure justice. Ufokobong’s father, visibly devastated, told reporters: “I cannot talk now. I am calling on the federal government to intervene for justice. I will talk at the appropriate time.”
This tragedy has spotlighted longstanding allegations of unchecked bullying at the college. Parents and students claim that school management and the Parent-Teacher Association have repeatedly turned a blind eye to similar incidents.
One parent, speaking anonymously, recalled a previous case in which an SS3 student struck a junior with a box iron on the head, causing the victim to faint. The injured student reportedly spent over a month in the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), with the school covering more than ₦200,000 in medical bills.
Another disturbing account involved girls in the hostel allegedly placing a junior student in a bag and zipping it until she nearly suffocated. Bullying is said to persist in both boys’ and girls’ hostels, including physical torture and other punitive acts.
Many in the community are now demanding accountability from FGC Ikot Ekpene’s authorities and stronger measures to protect vulnerable students from senior-on-junior violence.
The Federal Ministry of Education has yet to issue an official statement on the matter as investigations are expected to commence.
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