Primary, Secondary Reopen in War-Torn Community in Ebonyi

Primary and secondary schools in Amasiri, Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have reopened after the four-month curfew imposed on the community by the Ebonyi State government.

Recall that the curfew was imposed on the Amasiri community on the 31st of January, 2026, and lifted last Tuesday after the state security council meeting presided over by Governor Francis Nwifuru in his office at the Centenary City, Government House, Abakaliki, the state capital.

The ugly development took place following a war between the communities Akpoha and Okprojo, Oso Edda in Afikpo and Edda Local Government areas of the state, which led to the beheading of four persons.

When Daily Times visited the community last Tuesday, students and pupils were seen in some schools in the area, though in small numbers.

An SS3 student of Ekumaubaghala Memorial Secondary School in the community, Idam Ugochi, lamented that the curfew has negatively affected her studies and her WAEC exams.

“We suffered much during the lockdown; we saw hell. We were starving, and there was no food to eat, and we needed to write our WAEC. We had to trek to Ehugbo, a community far from Amasiri, where we registered for WAEC, and we were doing this every day under the hot sun.

“I feel happy that the curfew has been lifted, but my joy is not complete because we need our people who are in prison custody over the crisis to be released,” she said.

She called for the release of those arrested, prosecuted and detained in correctional centres to ensure lasting peace in the community.

“Continued detention of our people in prison custody by the government has made many things not function properly. Our markets are still not functioning; many shops are still locked, as you can see, because people arrested and detained in prison have not been released.

“The government should please release our people who are in prison custody so that everything will take normal shape in this, our community. My uncle is one of those in prison custody, and he is the only child of his mother. Because of his detention, my grandmother, who is his mother, is not feeling fine; she is very sick, and she may die if my uncle is not released.

“We lost many people in our community during the curfew; we lost many souls. Government should release those who are still alive; they should release them so that everything will take shape,” she lamented.

Also speaking, a JSS3 student of the school, Okpara Daniel, narrated his ordeal during the lockdown.

“Our schools were shut down during the curfew, and we were not learning again. We were not attending schools

“We didn’t even register for our junior NECO and other exams we were supposed to write as JSS 3 students. It is now that we are registering for these exams, and we have even missed three weeks in this third term before the government lifted the curfew on our community.

“We are happy for the lifting of the curfew because we would have equally missed this third term if it had not been lifted. I feel very happy about it, and I am happy that I am back to school to continue my studies,” he said

The junior principal of the school, Okpara Agatha, said the school has missed two sessions as a result of the curfew and the war that took place in the Amasiri community.

She lamented that the community lost many lives during the lockdown and thanked God she survived the situation.

“We thank God that the curfew has been lifted and students are coming. Hopefully, by Monday, everything will be normal. So, students are coming little by little, and we are teaching them.

“We have missed the next session, and they didn’t write their Junior NECO. So, they missed that one. So, what we are running around for is to make sure they write the Junior NECO, and that’s why I have been running around for it, to register them.

The students lost the second term. The second term is done and dusted, but we did not do it, and this is the third week of the third term. In this third term, we have even missed the first and second weeks, and the third week of it has already ended.

“We lost many lives and business during the curfew. If you go out, you will see how everywhere is; nothing is going on, and everywhere is very empty.” She lamented

At the Amasiri central school, only four pupils of the same family, Enyiukpo Uchenna, Primary 6; Enyiukpo Chinonso, Primary 3; Enyiukpo Chimaobi, Primary 3; and Enyiukpo Michael, Primary 1, were seen.

Speaking to our reporter, Enyiukpo Uchenna lamented over the low attendance of pupils in the school and called on other pupils to resume.

“My three siblings and I, as you can see, are the only pupils in this Amasiri Central School. Our colleagues are still in various places they ran to with their parents because of the curfew the government imposed on the community in February this year.

“Our teachers have not come back, but four of us are here in the school waiting for our teachers to come and start teaching us.

“We didn’t write first- and second-term exams because of the curfew. We missed two terms, and in this third term, we have already missed three weeks because the curfew was just lifted on Tuesday this week.

“We want to start learning; we have missed a lot in our studies. Our teachers should start teaching us, and our colleagues should return to school. I feel very happy now that the government has directed us to start school,” he said.

Also, Enyiukpo Uchenna lamented that he had missed the first and second terms because of the curfew.

He also lamented the low attendance of pupils and teachers in the school after the lockdown

“Our teachers have not come back, but four of us are here in the school waiting for our teachers to come and start teaching us.

school,” We want to start learning, we have missed a lot in our studies. Our teachers should start teaching us, and our colleagues should return to school. I feel very happy now that the government has directed us to start school”, he stated.