Empty 'grave' found inside classroom at Edo school

A fresh 'grave' found in the classroom of the Iguodala Primary School, Uhunduhun, Edo, caused brief panic in the community until it was found to be empty.

Pupils had discovered the freshly dug grave, which had blood sprinkled around it, inside their classroom after the morning assembly on Monday sparking speculations that a corpse had been buried there.

According to Punch, panicked pupils and teachers fled the scene before the Head Teacher, Georginia Ilongwo, called in officers from the Esigie Police Division.

She said residents of the community trooped into the schools after news of the supposed grave filtered out.

“After the pupils and teachers raised the alarm, people around trooped into the school premises," she said.

"I informed the Odionwere community leaders, the Ministry of Education, the Nigerian Union of Teachers and the Parent-Teacher Association.

Ilongwo said she was advised to "call the police" which she then did.

“When policemen came, they said they would assess the scene today (Tuesday).

"We were all surprised because since I started teaching here, I have never experienced such a thing.”

Police officers who spoke to Punch feared that something or someone might be buried in the grave.

But a Deputy Director in the Health and Environment Department of the council, Sylvester Usoboh, said nothing was buried in there after digging to the bottom, about three feet.

“We have removed the earth that was dug and got to the stronger part, an indication that no further digging was done, and nothing was found," Usoboh.

“Maybe the police may investigate further; but we did not find anything.”

The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Akeke Eni, quoted in the report, also said the 'grave' was empty, urging the members of the community not to panic.

“It is an empty ‘grave’," Eni said.

"It was initially suspected to contain something, but we have discovered that there is nothing inside.”