A yet to be identified illness is said to have hit a popular girls secondary school, Marymount College, Agbor, in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State.
One student is confirmed dead while 9 others are hospitalized after the outbreak of a strange ailment.
The school was reportedly shut down to enable the management investigate the root cause of the ailment
In a report monitored in Punch, a representative of the school, Rev. Sister Kauna Ola, and the School Secretary, Mrs Rita Ofuasia, said that the decision to shut down the school was taken so as to prevent the outbreak from escalating.
They disclosed this on Friday during a meeting at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, adding that the school had informed the parents of the affected children.
Rev Sister Ola said that one of the students who died after her parents took her to a hospital for treatment showed the symptoms through jerking.
She added that, “Four of the 10 students were taken to St. John’s Hospital, Agbor, while the parents of the remaining six students took them to hospitals of their choice.
“There is a gas plant close to the school and the management of the school had long told the owner of the plant to remove it from the place for the sake of the health of the people in the area.”
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Augustine Oghoro, said the state government was committed to ensuring that learning environment was safe for children and teachers.
He said, “The ministry has taken a holistic approach towards unravelling the circumstances that led to the shutting down of the school.”