Low Attendance Grips Rogbaneh Government Municipal Girls School, Makeni Following Unsettling Incident

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson 

Almost 72 hours since a shocking event stirred panic among residents of the northeastern city of Makeni. The incident which took place on Tuesday, January 28, has led to an alarming decline in student attendance at the Rogbaneh Government Municipal Girls School.

This all girls learning institution, which gained recognition two years ago as the first science-focused girls' school in the northern region, had an incredible enrollment of 1,000 students across grades JSS-1 to SSS-3 as of January this year.

However, in the past 48 hours, attendance has dropped by over 80%. Reverend Mohamed Brown, a senior educator and head of guidance and counseling at the school, confirmed this significant drop in attendance.

Speaking with AWE-Media.SL on Thursday afternoon at the school premises, he detailed that out of the school's total population of 1,000 students spread across 16 classes, fewer than 200 have attended their regular classes since the unsettling incident on Tuesday.

"We are deeply concerned as educators," Reverend Brown stated. "In response to this crisis, our school administration is taking proactive measures in collaboration with education stakeholders, community leaders, parents, and residents of Makeni to address the situation."

He mentioned that several proactive measures have been initiated in response to the unforeseen disruption of education at Rogbaneh Government Municipal Girls School in Makeni. The measures include the establishment of three committees, each consisting of seven members, to address the situation. These committees are the Spiritual Investigation Committee, the Physical Investigation Committee, and the Occult Investigations Committee.

According to the reverend, these groups include a dedicated team of pastors, Imams, board members, local traditional leaders, and teachers from the school. "The aim is to thoroughly examine the spiritual, physical, and occult factors related to the incident that occurred on Tuesday and affected the students' learning experience," he explained.

As part of the Spiritual Investigation Committee's activities, Reverend Brown further revealed to AWE-Media.SL that "Sheik Mustapha, a respected Muslim scholar in Makeni, will conduct a public redemption service on the school grounds later today.

"Additionally, a two-day fasting and prayer event will culminate in a public vigil and an overnight service for both students and teachers, while the Physical and Occult Committees will investigate the school's environment, evaluate the safety of the facilities, assess the food sold on the premises, and look into allegations of food poisoning, as well as explore the rumored supernatural elements involved."

Reverend Brown ended by urging parents not to be fearful about sending their children to school, noting that his office has already begun counseling five of the nearly twenty students identified as victims of this supposed demonic incident.

In a recent development, AWE-Media.SL reported on a visit to the Makeni Regional Hospital, where approximately 50 individuals, including a junior secondary school teacher who was bitten by the first student allegedly possessed, were receiving medical care after the shocking incident. 

All have since been discharged, with the exception of a primary school pupil from the neighboring SLC-Primary School, who remains hospitalized.  

As of the time of press, neither the teacher nor the possessed student is available to provide statements, nor are 19 other classmates who exhibited similar behavior that day.

Meanwhile, police investigations are ongoing regarding the suspected food poisoning that may have triggered widespread panic among primary school students and parents of SLC-Primary School, which shares its grounds with Rogbaneh Government Municipal Girls School.

Aw will continue to provide updates to the public as more information about this unforeseen event emerges.